I think you did right by going with Alienware. Those guys know what they're doing. I build custom machines myself so I rarely if ever recommend a mainstream brand. But if people have the money, I would say Alienware. Besides if you're working for a company whose giving you a $3K budget they almost surely have a corporate edition of office pro with plenty of licenses to go around. Just one thing, like the others mentioned, don't leave home/work without your power adapter!