The system’s aluminum black chassis is absolutely gorgeous, and LCD screen pushes out some impressive visuals. Colors are rich and deep, and details jump out on the screen. There is a bit of glare with the gloss, but it's not too bad when displaying bright content. There's a touch panel row of buttons that allow you to control functions like lighting, volume, and other quick settings which you can define. The keyboard feels really solid with a nice soft click to the keys, and the backlit letters and effects really set the system apart from the other laptops out there.
Speaking of the lighting system, the Alienware Command Center can be used to customize the lighting in eight zones on the laptop. That’s three keyboard zones, the touch pad, the function keys, the speakers, the Alienware text and the Alienware head on the front and back of the system. There’s about a dozen different colors to choose from, and each one can be chosen individually. Of course you also have the option to turn them off if bling isn't your thing.
Booting up the system yields a very clean install of Windows Vista without the extra stuff you traditionally see from OEMs. Alienware even leaves you with a PDF with your exact system specs as well as the results from the burn in tests done at the factory. The laptop also comes with Alienware's facial sense software which allows you to log in by simply looking at the web cam. The first few times you use this feature it'll require your password until it "learns" your face, but soon all that's required is to sit in front of it. It seems to work well enough when there's enough light, and it's a nifty little feature for sure.