Alienated by Alienware

The time has come again: I'm buying myself a new computer! It's like a second Christmas, isn't it? This time around I'm getting a laptop. Yeah, I know you'd like to suggest I build another tower instead. Better deal, easier to upgrade, and so forth. And I would, if I could fold it up and put into my backpack. But my work has me adopting a new lifestyle of frequent moving around. So, I looked into Aliewnware with the awe and anticipation of having "Indisputable Power" encased in a shell of anodized aluminum. But... I stumbled upon a problem. No, it's not money. I can shell out the several thousand for what can only be described as "enthusiastic" hardware. I found the problem in forums, when I read horror stories describing the terrors that come from making the awesome mistake of buying Alienware. Really? Is it really that bad? CPUs that melt, cases that crack, power supplies that burn up, price gouging, and, with all these problems, bad support too? Well, shucks. I thought this would be easy. Thus, I seek friendly opinions and advice. Is it really a bad idea to buy Alienware? So bad that we should establish awareness programs to protect the public? And if so, where do you suggest I look instead? Feel free to throw out specific examples of laptops I could buy in lieu of an m17x. If you find it prudent, defend Alienware. Thanks for the help.