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When Beige Won't Do
An anonymous reader writes "The days of the beige box are behind us, as computing becomes ever more a consumer electronics field. A New York Times article, hosted at News.com, discusses the newest trends in moving away from standard beige for PCs and laptops. Designer colors, artfully designed notebooks, and personalization are just some of the options outfits are now offering." From the article: "Apple Computer is widely credited with long ago shattering conventions that had for years dictated how a computer had to feel and look. Windows-based personal computers generally lagged far behind in fusing function with form in ways that consumers found exciting. But that is changing, executives from mainstay computer companies like Dell and Toshiba say."
There's no such thing as a Windows-based personal computer. Microsoft does not manufacture personal computers, and Windows is not integral to PCs. It is perfecty possible to use various other operating systems on a PC, and you can buy a PC without Windows on it, although a lot of people seem to think that it 'just comes with the computer' (even though they do of course pay for it). It annoys me to see the two get confused.
I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
I'm way ahead, I already use retro-themed hardware, it will be hot in 10 years!
If computers follow the lead of consumer electronics. then can we say that black and silver is the new biege?
Looking at the box near my left foot gives a data point comfirming this, so it must be true!
I'll buy the £18.99 one instead. Oh look, it's beige.
Perfume, cars, phones, clothes are all subject to the whims of fashion in order to extract extra cash from vict^H^H^H^Hcustomers, there's really no reason that computer buyers can't be fashion customers as well.
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Then I looked it up and I remembered . . . and realized that with VOIP and cell phones abundant these days, a box to steal someone else's phone line really isn't all that useful anymore . . .
Man, I feel old.
The worst thing about beige is that it gets dirty. Or rather- the fact that dirt easily gets visible.
Anyone remember high school public computers? With layers upon layers of ingrown grease and dirt on the keyboard, mouse and case? That would be my biggest problem with the color beige.
Nobody can possibly enjoy working in an environment where the best reason for learning to touch-type is that you'll keep your lunch (if I can't see it, it won't disgust me).
Three rings for the Elven-kings in the sky
That doesn't only apply to computers. Actually, computers are (again) the last ones to hop onto the fad.
A few decades ago, you bought brands because they were 'better' than nonbranded stuff. They offered more functionality, or they didn't wear out so fast or they simply worked (while that generic stuff didn't). You bought a Mercedes because it didn't break down, compared to that Beetle that required constant tinkering. You bought the brand name chips because they were crispy while the generic ones were bland. You bought an IBM because those "IBM compatibles" were more or less compatible, but not necessarily so.
Now, that has changed. Mid level cars offer the same kind of protection and reliability the luxury cars offer. Generic chips are just as crispy as that overhyped brand stuff. And it's the same with computers. Some very, very cheap boards and cards aside, they all offer the same value. It works. Some run faster, some run slower, but they all work.
Earlier, the brand tried to offer more functionality as a selling point. This worked to some degree, but we're now at the point where the generic version offers anything the customer might want, and he is not willing to spend more for functionality he doesn't want. A good example are cell phones. They offer an MP3 player, digital camera, PDA functionality, some play games and with some I heard you can even make a phone call. What else could you cram into them?
So the next logical step is design. There is no other way to distinguish yourself from the bland, generic versions anymore if you're a brand product. You cannot offer more primary use to your customer, so you have to appeal to his other senses. Not only his logic, but also his emotions. You try to reach him through the 'look and feel' instead of the facts under your hood.
This is anything but a surprising development. It is the logical next step in the attempt to distinguish brand merchandize from generic one.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.