DeltaLab MD1 Metal Distortion Pedal

The DeltaLab MD1 is a basic distortion stomp box.  It has several features that make to a useful and versatile bit of gear in my lineup.  One of the best is the true bypass circuit.  For those not musically inclined, this means that the pure tone of one's guitar is passed through when the effect is turned off.  This makes a huge difference especially in the studio where clear tone is essential.  The drive control offers a wide swath of tones from mild overdrive (for a sweet bluesy tone) to fullbore metal tones at the top of the range.  The shape control alters the way that the midrange tones are handled, offering additional tonal variety.  It can do everything from very scooped tones for rhythm to searing midrange solo sounds.  Even at full drive, this pedal allows the sound of your guitar to come through.  I've found this to be a rare quality in pedals in this price range.  Which brings us to the best part of this pedal, the price!  You can pick one of these up brand new for about $50.  It's a great bargain and I'm looking forward to picking up some more pedals from DeltaLab in the future.  Highly recommended for fans of cheap effects, true bypass, and awesome metal distortion!

Alienware m15x

I've had the Alienware m15x for a few months now, and I think I can finally write a reasonable review.  Alienware is owned by Dell, and is their flagship gaming machine line.  The m15x is the midrange of the Alienware lineup.  It was ordered online through the Dell website and took about three weeks to build and ship.  As built, it has an Intel Core i3 quad core processor, 8 gigs of ram, a 7200 rpm 320GB hard drive, and a 1 gig video card.  It includes a number of customizable options from the factory including lighting options, a custom laser engraved plate with my gamer handle on it (and in alienese!), and custom desktop theme options.  Also included is a slot loading dual layer DVD burner, a 15 inch 1080p HD display, as well as a combination wireless/bluetooth card.  A built in webcam and microphones allow for video chat with stereo audio.  There are lots of hotkeys that allow one to operate custom options quickly, and also a set of media keys making video and audio convenient.  Performance-wise, it has so far taken everything I could throw at it and more.  I am currently playing games like America's Army, Tropico 3, and Fallout 3 at full 1080p resolution with maximum settings without a hiccup.  Windows 7 Home Premium runs quickly and smoothly with all of the fancy visual options enabled.  Microsoft Office 2007 Standard also runs well.  As a gaming machine, I give it very high marks.  All games I have tried run perfectly and at incredible resolutions.  As an office machine, it is definitely overkill.  However, I use it in that capacity all the time and it works great.  the only complaints that I have are the weight and the battery life.  The case is made of thick aluminum and the machine weighs almost 15 pounds.  Durable, but heavy.  Running so much hardware means that the battery craps out after about three hours under normal use.  Not great, but acceptable to me.  I don't usually go anywhere that doesn't have an outlet, so no problem.  This computer is highly recommended for fans of computer gaming, high performance, and lots of customization.  Feel free to ask questions!