I have to balance out the hate on this board; Tom's karma would be in danger!
Being serious now, I am an Alienware m17xR2 owner, and I have owned a total of 3 Alienware laptops. I would not go back to them if I didnt think they were worth it.
Point 1: My life demands a workstation class laptop. I travel 5 days a week as a consultant. I have 1 to 2 VMs always running, I game alot, and I need a large screen for development purposes, plus I love large keyboards. Therefore, there is a VALID, HEALTHY customer base for these kinds of laptops. Because they dont fit everyone's lives does not mean they can offer great value for the money.
Point 2: This is subjective but I have found Alienware laptops built with much better quality than Cleavo substiutes (or any laptop for that matter)! The keyboards are worlds better than the competition (and white IS an option for keyboard color) and they do look professional enough (especially the black models). Aluminum finish is strong and reliable, the screen qualitiy is worlds better than any "cheap" laptop, and the CPU/GPU selection is always the top of what is out there. There has never been a meeting I could not take it to and I work at a stuffy bank!
Point3: NO laptop has perfect driver support, NONE! My Alienware can use almost all suplier side drivers (AMD, Intel, nVidia, Broadcom, etc.) All are available and work well. Dell doesnt need to index every latest driver.
Point4: For a gaming laptop, they are NOT over priced. This is especially true after being bought by Dell, being available for all the dell discounts and coupons that come their way. I got mine for 25% off the listed internet price, new and custom made.
I understand that people have had rotten times dealing with Dell support, lemons, and all sort of nasty to deal with. I feel that happens with any company or product long term. I have a "disgruntled" relationship with ACER and HP, but I can understand why they could be prefered. Honestly, I'm not defending dell in the slightest; we need good customer support. But please inform me then how other companies are better and still offer a competing product.