The box contained:

1. Mouse pad
While emblazoned with the Alienware slogan “Plays best on Alienware” I found that the mouse pad functioned equally well on my personal PC. Check out www.func.net for information on a mouse pad that I was quoted as calling “Boss”.

2. Reformat DVD, additional software.

3. Carrying case
But if I had actually owned this laptop I’m sure a metal reinforced case with interior padding would be in my near future.

4. One Xeno Grey Area-51m 7700
Processors & Chipset Intel Pentium 4 Processor with Hyper-Threading Technology - (2.8GHz - 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB Cache, Socket 775) Graphics and Video NVIDIA GeForce GO 6800 ULTRA with 256MB DDR3 Memory Starting at 256MB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz. 4 dedicated SO-DIMM slots for Dual-Channel DDR2 Memory LCD Panel 17” WideUXGA 1920x1200 LCD Display




After booting it up the very first observation on the 7700 came as a gust of warm air. The air came from a side vent in short, warm gusts that have been named “Farts” by my fiancée.



After checking the manual we found that the 7700 should only be placed on flat surfaces so as not to block the intake fans. After flipping the 7700 over…



… we found four separate intake fans distributed around the bottom. While obviously required in order to keep the considerable hardware cool, this did cause some fundamental problems in the portability department.

During the Alienware Month certain surfaces could not be used when needed due to the fans. These included the bed, the carpet, and most disconcertingly… the lap. However, in all fairness the 7700 is labeled a “Notebook” and not a “Laptop”. So we agreed that the 7700 should be considered a replacement for your PC and not a pal-around extra computer. This thing IS your computer, and it happens to be very handy in the pick-up-and-go department.