Hewdoo and Dellware: A Strange New World
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Now that Dell owns Alienware and Hewlett-Packard owns Voodoo, what's going to happen to our favorite gaming PC companies? We've been assured by both parents not to expect any serious changes, but is that too unrealistic to hope for? Remco Degooyer thinks so; keep reading to see why.
The world of computer manufacturers is dominated by well recognized names like Dell, Hewlett Packard, Compaq, Gateway, Lenovo, IBM, and Acer, to name a few. These companies are known for producing massive volumes of new computers every day for sale around the world in every market and for everyone. However, in any industry there are always those companies that tailor to the more discerning consumer that wants more power, more style, and a completely different package than what their neighbors have. In the PC industry this desire is fulfilled by companies like Alienware, VoodooPC, Falcon Northwest, SavRow and many others to one degree or another.
These high end PC manufacturers focus on the quality and power of the product before such trivial annoyances as price. A typical system from any one of these manufacturers, unlike their larger scale cousins in the general PC market, starts at roughly a thousand dollars and can quickly climb to the six, seven, or eight thousand dollars depending on the options selected. The machines built by these companies are tailored to power users, designers, and, most importantly, those involved in or enjoying the fruits of the gaming industry.
Each of these companies rely on the power of their products and their brand image to sell their high-priced machines.
The High End Players
Alienware (http://www.alienware.com) is a Miami, Florida-based manufacturer of high end desktops and laptops that are designed to provide the necessary tools for designers, video and graphic editing, and most importantly, for gamers. The company was founded in 1996 by its president Alex Aguila and current CEO Nelson Gonzalez. It has grown considerably in the past decade According to employees of the company, a significant amount of inspiration for its name and system designs has been drawn from the hit television series The X-Files. This is reflected quite obviously in the name of the company and its systems such as the Area-51 and the MJ-12 (see Majestic 12).
VoodooPC (http://www.voodoopc.com) is a manufacturer located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The company was founded in 1991 by brothers Rahul and Ravi Sood and has provided high end solutions for gaming, media centers, and digital creation computers in both desktop and laptop format. Voodoo has been featured in nearly every luxury PC magazine and has won many accolades for the design (both aesthetic and configuration) of their machines. The company draws heavily on both mystical and occult iconography in the design and marketing of their machines with systems like Omen, Eden, and Hexx.
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