Semi-secret Dell XPS laptop semi-delayed

Dell is keeping tight-lipped on this, but apparently they've got a new high-end XPS gaming laptop coming out soon called the XPS m1730. We all know about it, as it's been leaked on Engadget, Laptoping, and our favorite French tech Web site, LesDeLLiens, among other places.

The purported M1730 should be worth checking out if the various online accounts are correct--it offers Intel's new Core 2 Extreme X7800 CPU, a Blu-ray drive, SLI graphics, solid-state hard drive options, and other high-end parts. From the photos we've seen, it does have one major advantage over the current m1710--the new model has a separate number pad.

The latest Internet scuttlebutt has the system being delayed from its original late-August release date to September 21 for the U.S., Europe, and Asia, according to Engadget--so it'll be a few more weeks before we see if all the online rumor mills were right.

[qprize]

And you wonder why Dell has management problems?

How much sense does it make to buy Alienware, the premier gaming
manufacturer, and then make a competing Dell model? I'll bet the system
was designed exclusively by Dell engineers, leaving the top AW designers
entirely out of the loop.

Instead of diluting their high end, and I assume high profit, brand, Dell might
do better if they had Alienware design a mid-level system from Dell's parts
bin, and drive the higher end customers to the Alienware brand. They can
even boost both brands by labelling it "designed by Alienware for Dell," like
automakers used to do with Pininfarina. Heck, they already ought to have a
link to AW from the gaming page on their website.

[make_or_break]

Um...because some people...

...know or, more importantly, trust only the Dell brand? Alienware, when they were independant, was one of those niche brands that only gamers knew, and even then it was generally gamers that were a LOT more than casual who coveted their brand. The Dell name has considerably larger brand exposure, something that even certain performance geeks seem to focus more intently on than all others. Don't bother asking me why; I get into arguments over whether or not Dell is a premier performance computer maker too often with seemingly normal, intelligent people who insist on Dell and nothing else.

That's the segment of the market who's attitude and opinion that Dell is trying to reinforce and feed, IMO. Tell them that Alienware is wholly-owned by Dell, and they'll still insist on a Dell-branded box regardless, as if that name somehow provides even more insurance that what they're getting is now that much better.

[deecee]

Which part of the discription indicates a laptop

OK, let's face it, a system as described can be best stated as a better integrated desktop computer that has a battery, not a laptop. Why insisting on calling these things laptops when they obviously don't fit onto your lap anymore, a keyboard with a number pad, when are they going to come out with a model with a built in joy stick and a racing wheel?

[AMCooper63]

Laptop or Desktop

Actually it's a desktop with an integrate UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

[fred dunn]

How Long Is the Battery Life? 30 Minutes?

Cramming that much into a laptop, especially the SLI GPU's is going to suck a lot of power. To piggy-back on someone else's comments it also has a full size keyboard.
This looks like a great desktop replacement system as long as you're tethered to a power source but I have my doubts as to the viability of this system in full SLI mode using the blue-ray drive while mobile. Dell is either going to have to sacrifice battery-life or perfomance, you can't have them both in this case especially with the LED bling all over the case and keyboard.
My opinion is that they are either going to have battery fires or they are going to have to install a lot of battery into this system making it very heavy. I see this more practically tied to a car battery as this new model is going to be a power hog