Alienware M14x AM14X-6557STB 14-Inch Laptop (Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish)

Alienware M14x AM14X-6557STB 14-Inch Laptop (Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish)
by Alienware

Alienware M14x AM14X-6557STB 14-Inch Laptop (Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish)

Alienware™ M14x: The most powerful 14" laptop in the universe.

Featuring NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology and weighing less than 7lbs, the Alienware M14x is capable of up to six hours of battery life.

Power through hard-core games and intense applications with the latest Intel® Core™ i processors. 

Like to game on the couch?  With optional WirelessHD, you can wirelessly blast 3D or Full HD content to any properly equipped display (3D viewing requires additional equipment, sold separately).

DESIGN

The Ultimate Gaming Experience
Gaming is all about experience — the experience of visiting new worlds, of helping friends and crushing enemies, of showing off your skills. Give that experience a boost with the M14x.
Mind-Blowing Graphics: You’ll feel like you’re part of the action with the optional HD+ display and cutting-edge graphics technology.
Stay on the Couch and Ditch the Wires with WirelessHD: With optional WirelessHD, you can wirelessly blast 3D or Full HD games to any properly equipped display (3D viewing requires additional equipment, sold separately). 


Audiophile Approved: Graphics are only half of an awesome gaming experience.  With Klipsch® speakers powered by Waves MaxxAudio®, the Alienware M14x sounds as good as it looks.

Mobile Domination

Own your opponents anywhere you please — bedroom, dorm room, coffee shop or friend’s house. The Alienware M14x helps you stay in the game everywhere you go.

Battle Longer, Battle Lighter: Starting at less than 7 lbs, the M14x is designed to easily go with you anywhere and game anytime. 

Intelligent Power: With NVIDIA® Optimus™ dynamic graphics technology, the M14x automatically adjusts power consumption.  End result — up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge. 

Connect and Conquest: If you aren’t near a hotspot, you can still vanquish your enemies — anytime you want, virtually anywhere in the universe — with optional mobile broadband or WiMAX at up to 4G speeds.

Heroic Technology

Because failure isn’t an option, the Alienware M14x laptop delivers the cutting-edge technology you need to obliterate anyone or anything that stands in your way.

Revolutionary Graphics: With an optional HD+ (1600x900) white LED-backlit LCD display powered by cutting-edge NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics, you won't just see the headshot, you'll see the pink mist....

Out-of-this-World Processing Power: With optional Intel® Quad Core™ i7 CPUs featuring new Intel® "Huron River" architecture and Turbo Boost 2.0 technology, you’re equipped to beat any game on the market (and make it look easy).

Memory Master: With up to 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, you'll be able to simultaneously power through multiple applications without the performance decreases you've experienced on lesser machines.

Command and Customize

Control and personalize your system from the user-friendly Alienware Command Center.

AlienFX ™ Lighting Controls: Show your attitude! Choose from an array of color and transition effects, and assign them to distinct zones, including the keyboard, touchpad and more.

AlienFusion ™ Power Management: You decide when you need maximum performance or when to scale back power for less intensive applications.

AlienTouch ™ Touchpad Controls: Customize your touchpad’s sensitivity to prevent accidental contact and activate virtual scrolling to enable vertical and horizontal scrolling with just a touch.

Preloaded and Ready to Go: Steam®, the popular digital distribution gaming software, can be preinstalled on your Alienware M14x laptop. Opt to have Eve Online, the popular sci-fi MMO, preinstalled as well so you can stop wasting time and start playing!

Mark of the Conqueror: Laser cut and etched in metal for all time — your Alienware laptop comes with a custom engraved name plate. Mark your M14x with your name, clan, nickname or a threat of dismemberment to anyone that touches your system.


TECH SPECS
Processor
Intel® Core™ i5 2410M 2.3GHz (2.9GHz w/Turbo Boost, 3MB Cache)
Intel® Core™ i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.9GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
Intel® Core™ i7 2820QM 2.3GHz (3.4GHz w/Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)
Operating System
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit, English
Memory 
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
6GB DDR3 at 1333MHz
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
Video Card
1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus™ technology
3.0GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M using NVIDIA Optimus™ technology
Display
14.0 inch display (1600x900)
14.0 inch display (1366x768)
Hard Drive
Up to 750GB9 SATA hard drive (7200RPM)
Up to 256GB9 Solid State Drive SATA hard drive
Optical Drive
8x SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Slot Load Optical Drive 
Power
High Capacity 8-cell Lithium Ion (63whr)
Camera
2.0 Megapixel HD Video and Picture Camera with dual digital microphones
Wireless
Networking and Wi-Fi Options
All Intel® Wi-Fi options include Intel® Wireless Display (Wi-Di) technology support.
Integrated 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet NIC (Standard)
Intel® Wireless-N WiFi Link 1000 a/g/n 1x2 (Standard)
Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6205 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology (Optional)
Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology with WiMax (Optional)
High-Performance Wireless Display Technology
60GHz WirelessHD Wireless Display - HDMI fidelity over wireless (Optional)
Bluetooth Option
Internal Bluetooth® 3.0
Ports, Slots & Chassis
External Chassis Connections
(1x) RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
(2x) SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports
(1x) Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Port with PowerShare Technology
(1x) Mini-Display Port
(1x) HDMI 1.4 Audio and Video Output
(1x) VGA Port
(1x) 9-in-1 Media Card Reader
(2x) Audio Out 1/8" Ports
(1x) Audio In / Microphone 1/8" Port (retaskable for 5.1 audio)
(1x) Security Lock port 
System Dimensions
Height: 37.8 mm (1.49 inches)
Depth: 258.34 mm (10.17 inches)
Width: 337.00 mm (13.27 inches)
Starting at Weight11 with 8-cell battery: - 2.92 kg (6.45lbs) 
Color Options
Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
Nebula Red with Soft Touch Finish
Keyboard
4-Zone, multi-color RGB, 82 key keyboard with AlienFX lighting controls
Customized Features
Laser-Engraved Nameplate

Acer Predator AG7750-UR22P Extreme Gaming Desktop

Acer Predator AG7750-UR22P Extreme Gaming Desktop (Orange and Black)

by Acer

Acer Predator AG7750-UR22P Extreme Gaming Desktop

Predator G7

The Acer Predator G7 Series attacks with gamer-savvy graphics, razor-edge processing, and ultra-fast memory technology for a wickedly powerful PC -- including enhanced features like customizable overclocking, dual LAN connectivity, and liquid cooling. Gear up with the best!

Radical design

The Acer Predator's muscular case houses its immense power. Lifting the mechanized armored face shield reveals the all-access interface for extreme gaming, complete with glowing red LEDs and claw-like optical-drive doors.

Killer performance

The Acer Predator is driven by the most elite processor for serious gaming and entertainment enthusiasts. You're guaranteed ultra-quick system-wide performance for massive multitasking. The HDD cage allows 8 TB of storage space. Enjoy faster system bootup, quick application loading, and lots of room for content creation and multimedia files.

Eyes wide open, ears perked up

Experience graphics this intense and the real world might start looking dull. The Acer Predator supports today's most advanced multiple-GPU solutions to deliver high-def 3D visuals and supreme performance. Creative® THX® TruStudio PC™ puts gamers in the middle of the action with omnipresent surround sound.

Superior gaming enhancements

The Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility (IXTU) pushes your gaming machine's performance to the max. The two-part liquid cooling system increases efficiency and longevity. New image processing techniques give games unrivalled realism. You'll also appreciate blazing file transfers and non-stop connectivity.

Sale subject to Limited Warranty and Terms & Conditions agreement. All offers subject to change without notice or obligation and may not be available at all retail locations. Prices listed are manufacturer suggested retail prices and may vary by retail location. Applicable taxes extra. Not responsible for pricing or other typographical errors.

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Saitek Pro Flight Yoke with Three-Lever Throttle (PZ44)

by Saitek

When paired with MS Flight Simulator X (FSX), this hardware proved to be a major improvement over my Logitech Force Feedback joystick. Force feedback would have been a nice addition, but experience with two Logitech joysticks proved the feature stops working within a few months of initial use. 

The Yoke and Throttle easily attached to my computer desk without damage to the latter. The Throttle is small enough that I left it attached when not using FSX; the Throttle connects to the Yoke using a PS/2 style connector. The Yoke is easily removed when I have to get down to business. 

The Yoke is substantial in appearance and flawless in operation. None of the firmware problems cited in early reviews were evident. A little Vaseline petroleum jelly on the metal cylinder was all that was needed to ensure smooth yoke movements. 

The Yoke and Throttle are very well supported by FSX. Its use with FS9 (2004) and X-Plane 9 were notably less encouraging. The hardware was released three years after FS9. My brief experience with X-Plane 9 suggests that even superior hardware cannot makeup for inferior software.

Duke Nukem Forever

After a fourteen year hiatus, Duke Nukem Forever has finally been released. Thanks to Gearbox, Duke Nukem will stalk the shelves of GameStops and Best Buys everywhere, ushering in a new generation of Duke Nukem games starring the series' eponymous protagonist, Duke Nukem. 

The premise behind Duke Nukem Forever, much like its predecessor, Duke 3D, is simple: Aliens are invading to kidnap our women, and it's up to Duke to rescue as many kidnapped women as he can, and, to kick some alien ass. While the premise lacks gravitas or plot development, it works surprisingly well as a parody of over-the-top 1980s action films. 

Duke Nukem Forever is a first person shooter, and like most FPSs, has a small armory of weapons for the player to choose from. These include Duke's iconic Desert Eagle pistol, to the equally iconic shotgun, to more exotic weapons like the shrink ray and laser gun. The weapons are fun to shoot (especially the shrink ray), and give off excellent feedback to the player. When you shoot an alien with a shotgun, you know that a shotgun shell just hit them. 

Furthermore, the gunplay combines both the best of both old and new first person shooters. Gone are the health packs of yesteryear. Instead of a health meter, Duke now has an "ego" meter, which regenerates over time. While you can easily run and gun if you so choose, Duke is really more a cover shooter like Halo. There are also no iron sights available for any of the guns, though you can zoom-in with a press of the right mouse button. While the hit-detection can use some work (sometimes it feels as if your gunfire doesn't hit at times), the gunplay is easily above average, especially for a game that has stuck to its old-school roots for the most part. 

Although DNF is a first-person shooter, there are also some ridiculously easy Half-Life 2-inspired physics puzzles to solve. Early in the game, you have to drive a toy monster truck around in order to push an energy cell out of a small vent. They are not comparable to Portal 2 whatsoever, but provide a slight breather after another gun battle with pig cops and aliens. Additionally, there are also a handful of driving sections. 

However, there are some downsides to the game's overall design. Certain scripted events cannot be skipped. The game is so linear that you must perform certain actions (like pulling a horn off of an alien or drinking beer) to proceed. For example, you must watch a television report concerning the alien invasion before you can get past the man blocking your way. The gameplay design is also an antithesis to Duke 3D, which encouraged exploration and backtracking. There is none of that here, and while I can't fault the folks at 3D Realms for attempting to cater to modern tastes, I expected more of a homage to Duke 3D. But nonetheless, the game is well-paced, and some of the setpieces (like the jumbo casino level) are fun to roam around in. 

Additionally, the while the level design is good, it's often confusing figuring out where to go next. 

The campaign is a good ten hours long (which is still better than the four-to-six hour experiences that overrated games like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor can manage), and with that concluded, there is multiplayer available as well. 

Multiplayer consists of various team and free for all-style gameplay modes. There is deathmatch, team deathmatch, a variant of capture the flag (called Capture the Babe) and a few other modes. At the moment, the matches are quite laggy because most of the matches are being hosted on home DSL lines. The dedicated server software is junk, offering few options for customization and no interface for the host. And lastly, some guns (like the Devastator) are overpowered. But, these problems are nothing that a few patches can solve - hopefully, Gearbox will get these issues squared out in due time. 

Given DNF's long development time, it is not surprising that DNF's visuals have a very rough edge to them. The walking animations appear stiff and unnatural. Some of the textures are of such low resolution that they were probably created at least ten years ago. Overall, the visuals aren't entirely bad, but the length of the game's development cycle has demonstrated how quickly art assets can age over time. 

Lastly, the game requires activation via Steam no matter how or where you bought it. I see Steam integration as a positive feature, giving players multiplayer leaderboards, achievements, and the ability to redownload the game whenever. 

The game has suffered from a spate of bad reviews out of the gate (from the likes of Destructoid and others), but as a Duke 3D fan who has played DNF from start to finish, I whole-heartedly disagree with many of them. Duke Nukem Forever was never about pushing the boundaries of gaming or doing something vain or fantastic. Its chief aim is to entertain the player, through Duke's witty one-liners, pop culture references, an exaggerated storyline purposely ripped directly from a Hollywood B-movie, and first person shooting action which combines the best elements of both old and new first person shooters. Was I expecting The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings? No. Was I expecting a first person shooter that plays well enough and can make me laugh? Yes. Bearing a few problems, Duke Nukem Forever is the Duke Nukem sequel I have wanted ever since I played Duke 3D: A competent first person shooter that will push the envelope of humor that few other games dare to do. 

I wrote this review not because I am trying to troll gamers or increase my website's ad revenue. I wrote this because I vehemently disagreed with the negative reviews and feel that it is my duty to inform the gaming public that Duke Nukem Forever is not the piece of gaming turd that sites like Destructoid or IGN have led many to believe. 

While DNF won't win any awards later this year, it is still worth the purchase. I am happy to say that after fourteen years, the King is back, baby! The King is finally back!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D: Prima Official Game Guide [Paperback]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D: Prima Official Game Guide [Paperback]

I was a bit reluctant about purchasing this at first, given Prima's notorious reputation. In my experience, their guides have been pretty terrible compared to ones like the official Nintendo ones. However, Nintendo stopped producing guides a few years ago, so we're pretty much stuck with brands like Prima and BradyGames. That said, I was very much surprised when I began using this. 

Firstly, let me just say that Ocarina of Time itself doesn't really require a strategy guide; the game is fairly straightforward. This is really a collector's item. I bought it to have the heart piece and skulltula locations nearby while playing. In terms of information, this guide does a wonderful job. It's very easy to understand, and it's composed of five different sections, including one dedicated to Master Quest (the 2nd quest in the game). 

I don't really have any complaints about this guide. Is it worth the standard twenty dollar price tag of a strategy guide? Probably not. You can find all of this information (and way more) on websites like GameFAQs, but this is a convenient reference to go by. If you think you'll want to do a complete run of this, I Would definitely recommend it, but if you just want to do the story, then I say play the game without the guide so you'll have more fun.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

You haven't played anything like The Witcher 2 until you've played the Witcher 2. I've been playing RPGs since 1998 (Baldur's Gate). Since 2001 my favorite game has been Baldur's Gate 2. Yes, I've played original and subsequent releases Oblivion, Gothic, Dragon Age...pretty much anything related to RPG in the past fifteen years. For ten years Baldur's Gate 2 has been my fave until NOW. 

From graphics to storyline to immersion to gameplay to characterization, there has been NOTHING that even comes close to the Witcher 2. I've never used masterpiece before regarding a video game, but that is no more. 

The Witcher 2 is a MASTERPIECE. Is it perfect? No, but it is really close. Challenging, hard, beautiful and startling, if you buy only one game this year, make sure this is the one. If you buy one video game in the next ten years, make sure this is the one. 

If you're a consoller, sell your console and every game you got, as I did. Use that money to upgrade or buy a PC. This, the Witcher 2, is everything gaming should be. It sets the bar so utterly high, few games will ever be comparable. 

IT IS THAT GOOD.

Alienware m17x10-1847DSB 17‐Inch Gaming Laptop

After being a SONY VAIO user for a few years I was very anxious to put the Alienware laptop to the test. Although I am not much of a gamer these days I DO multi-task to a ridiculous degree. I often have 3 browsers open with dozens of tabs as well as running web authoring software, Photo shop and other utilities. At the time of ordering my laptop from Amazon I also ordered a 4 GB RAM stick to even out the odd 6 GB included with the M17. 8 GB appears to be sufficient to my needs. My first impression was overwhelming. There is no denying this laptop was built to impress. Every one that gazes on this laptop has had nothing less than Awe to express. One friend said it reminded him of a stealth fighter. All the lighting and matte black case is really attractive. I love the slot loading opti drive, even though just like the SONY it is on the right side, totally bumping in to my trackball every time I eject a disc. But better than SONY it does provide plenty of USB ports, 5 over the 2 supplied by SONY. Most import there are ports on both sides. The SONY had 2 right next to the disk drive again being totally in the way of any mouse or trackball.....??


Now for actual use: I have been using it for a few weeks now. First off like another review indicates there was (ZERO) software, free or trial that had to be uninstalled like EVERY other laptop I have ever dealt with. That was VERY nice. I did not know at time of purchase that this unit had (2) hard drives running in a Raid O. Interesting. The access to the drives and Memory is very easy from the bottom unlike a lot of other laptops. It appears the multiple cooling fans are easy to get to and clean when required.

Even with the dual Raid O hard drive THIS laptop appears to boot up a bit slower than the VAIO. I think this has something to do with the Alienware face recognition and other ALienware related esthetics. I am sure this can be all uninstalled or deactivated. Not a huge deal at the moment but I thought I should mention it. Face recognition is very annoying until it gets to know you. Still may be quicker to just type in your password. A very unique feature any way you look at it.(no pun intended) There has been no issues installing any of my drivers to external devices I use.

This will be my short list of complaints:
- The SONY has a better screen. no doubt. Plus a blueray player.
- Matte Black looks really cool as long as you keep it clean. It seems to attract dust like a magnet and it shows bad.
- The actual height of the keyboard is about an inch higher than what I am used to so I had to readjust my office chair to type comfortably.
- After the newness of the pretty lights begins to become normal one might wonder if they may be an issue in the future. Also the machine has more of a kids look (not sure it would fit in to an office environment). I do miss the thin elegance of the SONY. This is a VERY heavy laptop. Even though I never take my big laptop with me anywhere (I have a netbook for that) this laptop is VERY bulky and appears to weigh twice that of the SONY.
- I think if SONY would have offered some of the features found on the M17 I would be still using the SONY at 2/3s the price.

Bottom line: If you can afford this expensive laptop. Give it a try. Buying from Amazon I had it on my door step the day after ordering it.....NICE!!! Amazon return policy: THE BEST!!! I don't think I would have tried this laptop if Amazon did not offer it.

I hope this helps potential M17 customers make a decision.

Xbox 360 Console With Kinect

I have owned numerous xbox 360's since they came out. I Started with the original 20 gig, and after having some issues with some accessories with it (the intercooler i bought literally melted into the back of my 360) so i upgraded to the Elite. I loved the console, and never once had an issue with it. but there were always some negative things about it, including the noise, the size of the power brick, and how hot the games would get at times while playing. I only bought this at midnight but I can say its great so far, and you save 50 bucks by getting this bundle. 

What i love so far: 

- love the new look. my elite was black, but the console was bulky. the new one has a sleek design and is more compact. 

- The touch sensitive buttons are cool, you don't even have to press. 

- The power brick is much smaller, and leaves way more room. 

- The xbox is much more quiet 

- 3 USB hookups is great 

- 250 gig hard drive is all i will ever need. 

- The kinect is just amazing. works extremely well, recognized my every movement and voice command. the is definitely next gen gaming. Its just awesome. already used video chat, and the camera actually follows you around, whether you go up or down or anywhere. i cannot wait to use it more