Alienware mainstream media center gets a new name

Alienware Hangar 18, formerly the A-Series.

(Credit: Engadget)

We first saw Alienware's Hangar 18 HTPC at Digital Life in October 2006. Then it was called the A Series, and, as now, it was built on an AMD Live!-certified platform (the meaning of which we're still fuzzy on). The only real news at CES is it has a new name, the Hangar 18, and Alienware is pegging the release date sometime in Q2 2007. Specs remain subject to change, but figure that it will have a dual-core Athlon 64 X2 chip in it. You can also make out a slot-loading optical drive bay on the front panel. Alienware has not committed to an HD-optical drive or CableCard in the device yet, although by the time it hits the market four months from now, we wouldn't be shocked if one or both of those features crept in. The only trick is that at Digital Life, Alienware was pitching this as a mainstream media PC, so it will have to strike the usual balance between features and cost if it wants to retain that positioning.