Alienware

Alienware, a subsidiary of Dell corporation, specializes in assembling gaming personal computers and laptops. The assembled laptops and desktops have a unique look and feel that resembles a hardware device used in a science fiction movie with colored lights flickering and moving around the outer surface of laptops and desktops. Alienware has its online presence through its web site Alienware.com. By getting in to this web site, end users can get complete information regarding the different laptop and desktop gaming configurations available for selection.

Layout, Design and Usability Aspects

When it comes to the Layout and visual design of Alienware.com, the different gaming device categories are segregated in to Laptops, desktops, Accessories and Deals in a horizontal stacked manner. The deals section actually lists the various gaming laptops, desktops and accessories that come with huge discounts. The home page that contains the links to the four main options comes in the form a flash page with a black background. Below the flash page that contains information regarding the Alienware gaming systems, there are links to the Dell call centers, support sites in the form of Live chats and business sites. These links are nothing do with Alienware gaming systems.

When the user clicks on the Laptops or desktops, they would be taken to the concerned sections. The laptops and the desktops sections lists all the gaming models one below the other. The user can choose a particular laptop or desktop model and enter the detailed section of the selected laptop or desktop.

There is also an option "Add to compare" available in right section of the detailed gaming system page. Users can add different Alienware gaming systems with different configurations and compare the features available in the gaming systems chosen for comparison.

Alienware.com Functional and Navigational Aspects

Once within the detailed page of a selected gaming laptop or a desktop such as an Alienware 14 gaming Laptop or a 18 gaming Laptop, users can actually see a detailed description for the summary provided in the right hand section of the detailed gaming laptop or desktop page by clicking a small arrow present in the right extreme of the page. This page is dedicated to a particular configuration selected within a gaming laptop or desktop and provides details related to the major features of the selected laptop or desktop and hardware and software configuration related to the selected system. Once the decision has been made to buy a particular system, the user can use "Add to Cart" option provided in the detailed description page of the selected Alienware gaming desktop or laptop to start the online ordering process.

Alienware.com Accessories section

There is a separate section for Accessories in the landing page of the Alienware portal that contains details regarding the following Alienware accessories

1. Alienware TactX Headset
2. Alienware TactX Mouse
3. Alienware TactX Keyboard

By getting in to the Alienware Headset section, users can get the major features available in Alienware Headsets and also get to know the technical specifications. Users are provided with the two options when it comes to buying Headset and other accessories. One is through the online check out using Add to cart option and the other is using "Call and Buy" option.

Review by Robert Gombos, senior editor.

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