External Appearance - Outer Shell
Without anything in the picture to show scale, it's not easy to comprehend the size. It's a porky 4.0Kg/8.8lbs and over 2 inches wide at its thickest, as you'd grip it to carry. Not the smallest and lightest laptop you'll ever encounter, but given the specification, I'm not sure potential buyers are too worried. It'll spend most of its life tethered to the mains as a DTR, quite rightly as you'll see later, so its weight becomes less of an issue.
The body is lightweight magnesium alloy, with the black 'gills' on the top of the chassis made of a pleasing rubber, or rubber-like material, to aid purchase on the unit while you move it around.
The tricolour eyes are the last major feature on the lid, shining green when charging or on mains power in general, blue when on the battery and red when in standby mode, sleeping. Software control allows you to flash the eyes or turn them off to save a modicum of battery life. It's gimmicky, but an Alienware trademark these days and definitely something that marks the laptop out as such.
The latch is stiffly sprung, something I'm a fan of, since it doesn't allow for accidental operation, opening the lid and exposing the screen.
