I’m guessing that most hardcore gamers don’t actually read the WSJ - but there’s nothing like a little link love to connect us to stories that impact us. Here is the real scoop on what we are up to.

Dell XPS and Alienware are both great brands – arguably the greatest brands in PC gaming – and both will live on. But we are going to expand our focus on Alienware. We are going to invest like crazy in product development, design and engineering to propel Alienware as the premier gaming brand in the future. We are integrating the best gaming product development, engineering and design teams in the industry — Alienware and XPS — and this all-star lineup will be supported by a worldwide sales and marketing organization.

Alienware products are built by gamers for gamers and the brand has an impressive heritage of delivering a number of industry firsts in gaming. Alienware was first in the industry to introduce colors and a unique design for its PCs. Alienware also was the first to place a desktop processor in a gaming notebook. More recently – Alienware was first with dual GPUs (SLI) in notebooks and remains at the forefront of the industry with desktop offerings such as quad GPUs, overclocked processors and the fastest hard drive options available.

Today, Alienware gaming products have been recognized by customers and the industry as the best of the best. In fact, the Area-51 m15x has won multiple editors’ choice awards from prestigious publications such as Laptop, PC Magazine and Maximum PC, and the Area-51 desktop has won the Editors’ Choice Award from PC Gamer and the Shoppers’ Choice Award from Computer Shopper.

XPS remains an important Dell brand with its heritage of premium performance. While closely associated with gaming, in the last year XPS has expanded well beyond a gaming brand – look at the XPS One, our first entry into the all-in-one market, the  XPS M1330, an industry leading ultraportable or the XPS 420 desktop, designed for multi-media activities. How the WSJ missed all this is a little beyond us.

And XPS gaming systems will remain an important part of our gaming product portfolio. We don’t plan an early phase-out of these systems as the WSJ incorrectly stated, and in fact will continue to refresh them to keep them on the front edge of gaming:

The XPS M1730 gaming laptop

• Nicknamed “the Beast,” this laptop is packed with powerful technology that boosts its performance above many gaming desktops available today.
• Editor’s Choice awards from PC Magazine, CNET, Laptop Magazine and Game Informer

The XPS 630 gaming desktop

• Received a remarkable FOUR Editor’s Choice awards within the first five days of launching

The XPS 730/730 H2C

• Supports bleeding-edge technology and features, includes re-designed H2C cooling system

We love gamers. We love gaming. And much like we want to win every game we play, we want to lead in this market. Simple really. So that’s why we’re investing so much in the gaming systems of the future – we want those on an Alienware or XPS to reign supreme.

When I first stepped into the role of global operations manager for community at Dell, one of the first conversations I had with Dawn Lacallade, our IdeaStorm manager, was about the amazing Super Users we have on our community properties. When she told me about the VIPs on the forums, like Predator, Bugbatter, MoneyGuyBk, SR45, mombodog, osprey4 and ejn63, who has over 53,000 posts on the forums alone, and the great ideas and comments that Jervis961, Sugarbear and others continuously contribute on IdeaStorm, I immediately asked her…”Who are these people? Where on Earth do they find the time to participate and why were we so lucky for them to choose Dell community?”

Ironically, I am now asked this same question almost every day by people in Dell, outside of Dell, and even my friends and family. Now knowing and having built relationships with many of our community super users, it has become a fun game I like to play when I ask the rhetorical question back, “Well, Who do you think they are?”  All assumptions and guesses always lead to these folks being highly tech savvy retirees.  Indeed, we do have some retired and highly technical super users, but they are just a part of our super user peanut gallery. 

If you hand picked people from all walks of life, all ages, all interests, and all countries of the world, then maybe you would come up with something similar to the demographic of our super users. We have doctors, small-business owners, college professors, engineers, high school and college students, retired military personnel…you name it…we have it. 

No matter how different these people are, they all share a common interest: Dell. It is amazing to me to watch these people, who would never know or meet each other otherwise met up on our community. And when two super users partner up to help a customer in need on the forum…well, there is nothing like it in world. You can feel the strong sense of camaraderie and team spirit that is unparalleled in even the best work environments or on the best teams.

Blogger Jake McKee over at CommunityGuy just wrote an interesting post on the power of communities, and how people and place are brought together for amazing results. In fact, you might have a story of your own to contribute to a book he’s writing, tentatively called “Connected by Distance.”  It should be a great read.

And now on to the last part of the question, “Why do they choose Dell community?”  To this day, I do not have a consistent answer as the Dell brand can mean different things to different people, but I am humbled by this every day. What is consistent is how appreciative we are that they choose to spend their time with us.

You gotta love today’s linking capabilities… Lifehacker has this little gem that was picked up and passed along, via a Dell internal blog, by our big boss/prolific blogger Andy Lark:

Instead of clicking on the Start menu and dragging your pointer through menus and submenus of programs, launch what you need without ever taking your hands off the keyboard in Vista. With a single tap of the Windows key, you’ll invoke the Start menu, and your cursor lands conveniently in the search box. Begin to enter the name of the program you need, and Vista will find it as you type. Hit Enter to launch the right choice.

There has been a bit of buzz in the news lately about the sales of Windows XP coming to an end – and more than a few incorrect headlines about Dell’s plans. Let’s set the record straight – there are going to be a limited number of consumer systems available with Windows XP installed after June 30.

As of today, the only way any PC manufacturer, including Dell,  can continue to offer Windows XP past the June 30, 2008, end of sales deadline is through Microsoft’s downgrade rights (DGR) program.

Let me make this clear – this is a Microsoft program. They make it available to PC manufacturers/system builders. They make the rules regarding which operating systems versions are involved, which PCs qualify and how long the program lasts.

Dell extends the program to our customers as a service. And we make serious efforts to make it as painless as possible – like installing XP on the system with all the correct drivers, versus throwing a CD in the box and letting customers figure it out on their own.

The downgrade rights program is not new – it was available the last time we went through an OS transition (W2K to XP).  So, there is nothing “sneaky” about a customer purchasing a Vista system and Dell installing XP Professional on it despite what the headlines imply.

To be honest, the primary customer targets for this program are corporate customers – organizations that manage hundreds if not thousands of systems. Microsoft recognizes these customers need extra time to qualify new software, new hardware, etc., and so the DGR program provides that.  In fact, Dell has been providing this service for OptiPlex, Latitude and Dell Precision workstation systems since *last* April. 

Now, I know you’re wondering, “What does this have to do with ME?”

What’s made the news is that we recently added this service for our Vostro and XPS gaming systems. Remember – this is a Microsoft program, and they make the rules about which OS versions and which PC models qualify.

What are the rules?

• Customers can purchase select systems that include a license for Windows Vista Business or Vista Ultimate, and have the OS downgraded to XP Professional, which Dell installs.
  • Vista Home Premium and Vista Home Basic are NOT part of the downgrade rights program, NOR is XP Home.
• The Dell systems that are part of the downgrade rights program are:
  • Latitude laptops, OptiPlex desktops and Dell Precision workstations
  • Dell Vostro laptops and desktops
  • Dell Gaming systems - the XPS 630 desktop and XPS M1730 laptop (Note – Vista Ultimate is the only DGR OS option for these systems)
• Dell offers the downgrade right program service at no charge on corporate client PCs, and charges a fee ($20-$50) on Vostro and XPS gaming systems.
• Microsoft has stated the ability to provide the Windows XP recovery media ends on Jan. 31, 2009. After this PC manufacturers/system builders like Dell cannot send out Windows XP media. There will be a few exceptions to this date – for example, some Volume License customers who get images installed through custom factory install (CFI)  can continue to receive Vista licensed systems with XP installed.

So what does a customer get with Dell’s downgrade rights program service?

For the XP Professional that is installed under DGR:

• A hard drive based solution (software) to restore the Dell system back to the original configuration.
• A physical disk (media) to allow the reinstallation of the original XP Pro OEM operating system on a Dell computer (available until Jan 31, 2009).
• A physical disk (media) to allow the reinstallation of XP drivers, utilities and diagnostics on a Dell computer.

And for the Vista Business or Ultimate that was purchased with DGR:

• A Vista Certificate of Authentication (COA) affixed to the computer
• A physical disk (media) to allow the installation of the purchased Vista Business or Ultimate OEM operating system on a Dell computer.
• A physical disk (media) to allow the installation of Vista drivers, utilities and diagnostics on a Dell computer.

Why is Microsoft doing this?

The downgrade rights program is not new. Dell offered this service when the industry transitioned from Windows 2000 to Windows XP. Microsoft and Dell understand that corporate customers take a while to migrate from one OS to another and this program allows them the time required to properly prepare and transition. Gaming and small business customers are invested in legacy applications that may not yet be fully compatible with Vista.

Hope this clears up some of the confusion.

At the risk of offending my good friends in the Dell Consumer online team, I think sneaker companies are kicking some serious a** when it comes to usability and brand experience in online product configurators. My recent search for the perfect sporty casual shoe led me to several Web sites that offered not only great style and customization options, but also a great shopping experience that makes me want to go back – and, obviously, to spread the word.

I’d seen K-Swiss shoes that I liked in a store, and started my search there. The My K-Swiss site is basic (only two base color choices – black or white), but offered a style I liked (the “Classic Luxury Edition”) and plenty of color options for the stripe color, lace color and K-Swiss “shield” on the tongue. It was easy, there was no guessing and I had my first pair of custom kicks within a few weeks. When I revisited the site while writing this post, I noticed that they’ve made the very savvy move of adding customization options for universities. There are only seven schools right now, but fortunately the University of Wisconsin is one of them – and you can get Bucky Badger on the tongue!

The Converse site was my next stop, and it had much to commend it from a design choice and experience standpoint. There were several more base models to choose from, and several more customization options – materials for the upper, distinct color choices for the inside and outside body, as well as for the heel stripe and tongue. I bought a pair there, too, but wish I’d waited until after their recent refresh – 12 styles to choose from now, plus a plentitude of options for (RED) versions. They’ve even launched a new initiative called 1HUND(RED), which will feature custom designs by 100 artists from around the world to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Puma has a visually sumptuous site called Mongolian BBQ, that’s quite literally laid out like its namesake, and the mouse pointer is an arm holding a pair of chopsticks that picks your color selection out of its bowl. Unfortunately, that’s as far as I’ve gotten – maybe too much of a good thing.

That’s just a sample of my humble experience in the sneaker sub-culture. Real collectors should check out the sneakers blog at Complex.com.

Creating a great photo is hard enough, but when your subject happens to be on four legs or flying it can go from fun to frustrating, fast.

Two things to consider when snapping shots of your favorite specimen: your equipment and your approach. ArtsChateau has a great Top 10 list of things to do to help make your pictures worthy of National Geographic (or at least the refrigerator door).

What editing tools should an outdoor photography buff use? Adobe’s got a great one called Lightroom. Rob Sheppard over at Outdoorphotographer.com gives a detailed report here.

While we’re on the subject of creature photography, there’s a great article from Digital Photography School. Written by wildlife photographer and author Joe McDonald, it calls out  some “rules of the road” for taking pictures of wild animals in their natural habitat. It’s sad to think someone would ever disrupt a bird nest or fox den just to get a picture, but this can be a real problem. Some places have strict procedures photogs must follow.

I’m far from being an accomplished wildlife photographer. However, on a recent trip to the fabled YO Ranch I did manage to maneuver close enough to this magnificent buck to get a decent late-afternoon image. The last couple of hours of daylight can yield interesting results. I used a kit zoom lens (55-200mm) on my Nikon D40 (could’ve/should’ve borrowed a friend’s 400mm) and edited using Picasa. Can you spot the doe under the buck’s right ear?

This August, my wife and I will celebrate our son’s 3rd birthday.  Being he is our first child, we like most parents strive to provide the best in everything for him.  We also realize that our son is growing up in an age that is vastly more technologically advanced than the one my wife and I experienced.

I remember playing Pong (yes, I’m dated), our first “color” TV (amazing), and being mesmerized by the game Simon.  However my son is growing up with Wii, XBox 360 and Playstation 3.  Not to mention computers, cell phones and HDTV.  I must admit I’m a bit jealous.  If only these devices were around when I was a kid.

I’ve dubbed this next generation “Techno-Tots,” and this series of occasional posts will focus on children growing up in this wonderful Digital Life of today.

While doing research for the series, I came across an article from Forbes: “Coolest Gadgets for Kids.”  It featured the Wow Wee Robosapien.

My son loves it!  And while I reviewed the instruction manual, he quickly had the robot performing tricks before I could figure out which buttons to push.  And all this before the ripe age of 3.  While new to me, he seemed incredibly comfortable with the remote control.  So who is teaching who in this digital age?

If you have ideas for “Techno-Tots” posts, I’d like to hear from you.  Until then, I’ll try and wrestle the remote from my son and have *him* show *me* how it works.

Follow me on Twitter @ChrisBatDell.

PS: Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!!!

I have to admit that it took me a while to “get” Twitter, a  free service that connects people via the Web, your phone and IM, but I’m a convert now. If you want a crash course on how it works, the folks at Common Craft have done their usual sterling job of putting together a video:

Of course, the first hurdle to jump when joining any social network is finding the people you know (a.k.a. tweeple in Twitterdom).  A recent post by Search Engine Guide Blog dives deeper into the subject, providing a step by step on how to find people with tools like a basic search bar on Twitter, Twitter Packs wiki and Tweetscan. 

For some real world observations, Darren Rowse has a great post on Problogger that touches on a number of conversation starters … 35 Twitter tips from 35 users.

But my friend Connie Reece probably knows more than anyone when it comes to this “virtual water cooler” phenomena. 

Happy Twittering!

P.S. If you sign up or are already tweeting, follow me, JohnatDell, and I’ll follow you back.

There’s no shortage of talk these days about the future of gaming, especially when it involves platform supremacy, i.e. consoles vs. PCs.

Console games are becoming more and more popular, so where does that leave PCs? 

THQ’s creative director Michael Fitch isn’t keen on the prospect for PCs. A lifelong PC gamer, he told Gameindustry.biz that several factors—piracy, hardware reviewers and vendors—make developing the games “an uphill slog.”

Check out Gamasutra, where EA’s Ben Cousins (he’s senior producer of Battlefield Heroes) sees it a little differently.  “…People think that the PC is dying, but that’s a crazy idea…I think we’re going to continue to see high-end packaged good games on the PC. But I think they’re going to…have an element of connectivity; they’re going to have an element of persistence which you need to be connected online to do; and they’re going to be, probably, more multiplayer focused.”

Obviously, we think that PC gaming is here to stay in a big way, partly due to the hundreds of millions of PCs out there and powerful new machines like the XPS M1730 laptop and the XPS M730 desktop.

Which camp are you in, and why?

My good friend Wim Wenders (actually, I only met him once, at the “Wings of Desire” L.A. premiere, but he seemed nice) reportedly is one of the judges for a film contest site called Filmka.com. The Movie Blog notes that:

“Former Fox TV exec Sandy Grushow has joined with ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ producer Deepak Nayar to create Filmaka.com, a web-based movie studio that is attracting aspiring filmmakers with promises of big coin for their feature films or series pilots.”

“Filmaka.com hosts a series of contests judged by a jury that includes Wim Wenders, Paul Schrader and Werner Herzog. The entrants submit a fee and a three-minute short, of which Grushow said the site has received 3,600 from 95 countries. Filmaka.com hosts the shorts for the curious, but when the contest is over, Grushow and Nayar will produce the winner’s feature film with coin ‘in the range of $2 million to $3 million.’”

The site runs 12 smaller contests a year, with different themes. The rules are kind of confusing, but the gist of it is that Filmka community members vote on “entry level” finalists, and the top 10 vote-getters each receive $500 and the option to do a “jury level” film, for which they receive an additional $1,000. Three “jury level” winners compete for the $2 million -$3 million prize.

After you submit your short, be sure to send the link our way (via the Idea Submission section) so other Your Blog readers can check it out.