Alienware M17x Reveal and Demo at E3

Alienware hired a group of guys and girls in black suits to walk, single file, steel briefcases cuffed to their wrists, round and round the show floor at E3 today, and we unwitting media and gamers followed like bloodhounds on Paul Newman's trail. Take a look at what we found; pics and video below.



Lots of hoopla for one laptop, but it was a beautiful piece of machinery that played Capcom's Dark Void without a hitch. We also saw another curved widescreen monitor and Alienware-designed keyboard and mouse that are supposed to ship later this year.

I finally got my hands on the M17x, and given the host of hot and heavy hardware inside, it was heavy, but any gamer looking for desktop performance in a laptop can't expect netbook-like weight. The backlit keyboard is bathed in red light, while the front panel's lighting reminded me of a Camaro's rear brake lights.

Alienware also touted the all new anodized aluminum case, which isn't completely new in laptops, but for Alienware, they designed it so you don't see a single screw on the entire outside of the case. The screen is the same WXGA display found on the mid- and upper-range M17 PCs, and I still think it's the most beautiful screen I've ever seen on a laptop.

On to the demo. I played Dark Void, the new third person shooter from Capcom, and I was impressed with the performance. The level was gigantic, with mountains in the distance and sunrays and shadows cast in the canyons and on the peaks just like in real life, except that I flew about with a laser-firing jetpack.



I can't say much about the gameplay itself, but when you buy a top-o-the-line laptop, you expect ZERO lag/twitching, and the M17x doesn't disappoint.

The Alienware M17x will be available in 35 countries soon.

More E3 2009 coverage and tech news abounds, so read more and check back often for more.

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