So did you opt for the ssd? I went through to try it, but adding it cost over 500 bucks

I was surprised at no cd drive, I'm so used to having one. But adding moderate upgrades brought me to around 1000. Ssd put it around 1500. Whew, pretty expensive for an 11 inch.

Probably gonna buy a new laptop this summer, and since Im so used to the power in my desktop, I'll probably have to buy a custom one although having a much smaller screen helps for framerates. Btw what other companies are competing with alienware in the laptop market?