As if you didn't know.

Dell is having some sort of sale... so, solely in the interest of providing the consuming public with some data, hard facts regarding the quality of this sale and whether or not to purchase a Dell.

Don't.

I'll qualify that a little. The configuration process wasn't any easier or harder than the other two I bothered to check out, and they did offer a broader supply of software for immediate purchase. But...

ABS had better prices. I'm not talking huge, but these weren't sale prices, and I shot for pretty good quality, starting with the top-of-the-line gaming notebook on each occassion. For some reason. Or it was totally arbitrary.

ABS offered more product quality options, higher processing speeds, more memories, more drives. Oh, and I pressed the button for "I won't ever have to fix this thing. If it brakes, I ship it back and get a new one within a week." In each case, and ABS's customer support (from personal experience) is awesome. Compared to HP and Dell (as well as Compaq, which is now a division of HP, unless it isn't anymore), I'd rather go hang on the phone with people who genuinely seem to want my business.

But I digress.

ABS even offers a free mousepad and t-shirt, and another mousepad (something like a UFO, except without the flying part. Mostly the cool glowing effect, so you can be the only person on your block that has to plug in their mouse pad).

I'm still a pretty staunch supporter of ABS, primarily because they have American tech support that actually sounds like it cares when you call.

Dell's tech support is in India, and is simply difficult to understand sometimes. (I will not knock people that simply want a job and do know how to go about it... but talking to them can be a challenge - both ways, I'm sure.)

I've never used Alienware's tech support, but I can probably transfer you to someone who has. Please hold...