Technology Starlet: The Evolution of Fashion PCs

Friday, February 22, 2008

The Evolution of Fashion PCs

I try not to brag too often, but just to set the record straight...I predicted this happening, that's why I started this blog.

"Market research firm Forrester Research has predicted that the period between now and 2012 will be the “Age of Style” for the consumer PC industry, with manufacturers weaving design considerations into every aspect of their business, including research and development, brand management, marketing and retailing."

Microsoft marketing director, Nadine Kano, made these statements recently:

"Fashion is how we express our identitites"

"Style is everywhere today. Look at house wares – everything from potato peelers to handheld vacuums have been infused with style. In the technology world, we’ve already seen cell phones reach the status of fashion accessory. The shift we’re seeing in consumer PCs is just as inevitable."

"Product differentiation in the PC industry is getting harder and harder to achieve based on technical specs"

"People have always wanted power, speed and reliability, but these days they can get comparable disk space, processor speed, and RAM from many PC manufacturers. To get something unique, people are now looking for style.”

"We’ve definitely moved beyond the days when, to paraphrase Henry Ford, you could get a PC in any color you wanted, as long as it was beige."

Read more of what Nadine Kano said here

So, words mean nothing right? Microsoft actually put their money where there mouth was and invited Nigel Barker, Tony Shellman and Misa Hylton to judge a high-tech fashion show this year at CES in Las Vegas. After looking at 12 very hip and stylish Windows-based PCs they picked a favorite.

I love two of their picks, one of them, I could live without. But the concept of each of these designs and the prospect that they could actually sit on my desk is quite intoxicating.

1. The Sony LT, a 22-inch, wall-mountable HDTV with a transparent glass border and a VAIO PC tucked into its side panel.

2. The Signature PC from Ego Lifestyle, which has a rounded design resembling a lady’s handbag and is available in leather, chrome, titanium and lacquer finishes. (My Favorite)

3. The Haier Notebook VM, which has its screen and keyboard connected via a rotary spindle that allows users to pull the screen both upward and forward, and has a sports-car-quality paint job.