Wanted: A PC with a little pizzazz
Perhaps it comes down to nobody wanting to take the risk--especially not in the current climate. After all, for every industrial design marvel, like the iMac, there are dozens of design duds (like the Pontiac Aztec, which despite an extensive marketing campaign is still one ugly SUV). When Apple introduced the iMac, they needed a home run to revitalize the company, and they were willing to live on the edge. The fact that there was a solid system inside helped too. The recent launches of the Titanium portable and the new iBook line show that Apple still gets the importance of blending form with function.
Perhaps Apple has simply hired all of the good industrial designers, so there are none left to work in the PC market. Or maybe PC manufacturers suspect that their users don't care about design--the as long as this thing can run Windows, Office, and maybe Quake 3, people don't give a damn what it looks like theory. And maybe they're right, but given the slowdown in desktop sales, you would think the market was ready for a PC with a little pizzazz: A system that makes people say, "Well, I don't really need a new system, but this thing's too cool not to buy." Instead, the major manufacturers just seem to be sitting back, hoping that faster processors and Windows XP are going to do all of their selling for them.
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Which isn't to say that nobody's trying. In fact, our colleagues at Computer Shopper magazine recently took a look at five systems that go beyond the beige box. And while some of the designs truly are innovative, almost all require trade-offs--mostly on the performance side. One exception is ePCdirect.com's Integra, which can actually run 3D first-person shooters pretty well, though our reviewers still found the system "only moderately quick."
Call us dreamers, but will somebody please let us have our cake and eat it too? What about you, when it comes to computing, do you care about looks? Do you suffer from Mac envy (at least when it comes to design)? Tell us in TalkBack below.
See Also:
This week's Hottest Desktops
For more desktop reviews, buying advice, and desktop system help, visit the
ZDNet Desktop SuperCenter. COMMENTARY--It's been three years since the iMac hit the market, and those of us using PCs are still waiting for somebody--anybody--to come out with a system that has even a smidgen of aesthetic appeal.
Perhaps it comes down to nobody wanting to take the risk--especially not in the current climate. After all, for every industrial design marvel, like the iMac, there are dozens of design duds (like the Pontiac Aztec, which despite an extensive marketing campaign is still one ugly SUV). When Apple introduced the iMac, they needed a home run to revitalize the company, and they were willing to live on the edge. The fact that there was a solid system inside helped too. The recent launches of the Titanium portable and the new iBook line show that Apple still gets the importance of blending form with function.
Perhaps Apple has simply hired all of the good industrial designers, so there are none left to work in the PC market. Or maybe PC manufacturers suspect that their users don't care about design--the as long as this thing can run Windows, Office, and maybe Quake 3, people don't give a damn what it looks like theory. And maybe they're right, but given the slowdown in desktop sales, you would think the market was ready for a PC with a little pizzazz: A system that makes people say, "Well, I don't really need a new system, but this thing's too cool not to buy." Instead, the major manufacturers just seem to be sitting back, hoping that faster processors and Windows XP are going to do all of their selling for them.
|
Which isn't to say that nobody's trying. In fact, our colleagues at Computer Shopper magazine recently took a look at five systems that go beyond the beige box. And while some of the designs truly are innovative, almost all require trade-offs--mostly on the performance side. One exception is ePCdirect.com's Integra, which can actually run 3D first-person shooters pretty well, though our reviewers still found the system "only moderately quick."
Call us dreamers, but will somebody please let us have our cake and eat it too? What about you, when it comes to computing, do you care about looks? Do you suffer from Mac envy (at least when it comes to design)? Tell us in TalkBack below.
See Also:
This week's Hottest Desktops
For more desktop reviews, buying advice, and desktop system help, visit the
ZDNet Desktop SuperCenter.