When PC gaming juggernaut Valve announced its Steam Machines initiative in Fall 2013, it was unveiled as such: "Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all world. We want you to be able to choose the ...

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" ...

Numerous Steam machines debuted at CES 2014, but Alienware's solution, the Alpha, stood out from the pack. It wasn't an underpowered or rebranded product, and it also wasn't sitting next to a four ...

UPDATE: I just received word from Alienware that the Alpha console is getting $50 trimmed from its price tag. It's now retailing for $499. In the below review I state that it's "a petite system that ...

The Alienware Alpha is a big step toward bringing PC gaming to the living room through a small console-like system. Our review of the Alienware Alpha is quite positive, and I couldn't help picking one ...

“PC gaming is too expensive.” “PC gaming is too complicated.” “I don’t want a big, bulky PC in my living room.” Rest in peace, three overused excuses. You all had a good run, as far as excuses go, but ...

For the past fortnight I've been living with one of Alienware's Alphas to see what it's like having a primordial Steam Machine hooked up to my television. I wanted to know how well it played games, ...

Alienware has created a monster. The boutique gaming-PC maker is marketing its new box, the Alpha, as a console. It’s actually a strange PC-console hybrid. It can certainly do things that no other ...

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" ...

The Alienware Alpha debuted back in late 2014, and at the time, I was completely enamoured by the little PC that could because it allowed me to bring all of my PC games into my living room without ...

For all its advantages, PC gaming has always been hampered by a supposed restriction to the desktop. As PC manufacturers have looked to create platforms that compete against consoles for dominance of ...