Gamer PC maker Alienware has broken with its high-priced past and rolled out the Bot, a model starting at $579.
Unlike almost every other Alienware model, the Bot is not tailored for the dedicated gamer, but is intended for average home and SO/HO use. A company spokesman said Alienware does not intend to pry itself into the commodity retail PC business, but to give businesses and the education market an opportunity to buy its products. A traditional Alienware computer costs upwards of $2,000 and is designed for the high-end gamer whereas the Bot lacks the usual graphic cards, cooling fans, expensive power source and super cool and colorful chassis design.
For the time being, Alienware intends to sell the Bots through its direct business but it is actively considering offering them to retailers, the company spokesman said.
Like all Alienware models it is configure-to-order with the basic design featuring an Intel Celeron D 325 2.5GHz processor paired with an Intel 915G chipset on the motherboard. It comes with 256MB or memory, the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900, 80GB hard drive and a 16x DVD-ROM drive, although upgrades are available to CD-RW and double-layer dual-format DVD burners.
