Dell recently sent me an Alienware laptop, and it instantly brought back a wave of nostalgia, reminding me of a time when gaming machines embraced their identity instead of trying to squeeze ...

While this is nothing more than a guess, I'm pretty sure that the average Alienware buyer isn't interested in a gaming laptop that's discreet, understated, or like any other model they could buy. They ...

Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" ...