The rumors have been swirling for weeks, and now it has been confirmed: Dell is buying Alienware. The reasons for the deal are pretty obvious, combine Dell's economies of scale and production-savvy with the fat premiums Alienware charges for its gaming systems and you have a marriage made in MBA-heaven. (If there were such a place) As IDC Analyst (and my buddy) Rick Shim told CNN:

Companies such as Alienware, VoodooPC and Falcon Northwest have been pioneers in capturing customers willing to spend $7,000 or more for a computer

That beats trying to make money on $500 PCs.

Still, the real question is: Is Dell cool enough to own Alienware? (We know they have enough money.) The claims of Alienware selling out started circulating as soon as aquisition rumors started. Alienware customers pay more precisely because it is not a Dell. This is a more than a point of pride, it is the way gamers identify themselves. If Dell wants to keep these guys from making a Voodoo or Falcon NorthWest ther next PC, it had better tread lightly--and keep the freaky alien logo.