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Featured Article: Editorial - iMac Ten Years Later: Another Dent in the Universe

Microsoft Pushing for Apple-style PC Designs

by , 10:05 AM EDT, July 27th, 2006

Microsoft is working to change the beige-box image most PCs suffer from by offering manufacturers its own how-to kit. According to BusinessWeek, Microsoft is advising PC makers to design cases with "accelerated curves" and "purposeful contrast." The colors Microsoft's kit calls for are obsidian (a shade of black) and ice (translucent white).

The booklet included with the how-to kit even says "We want PCs to be objects of pure desire."

For the past 18 months, Microsoft has been working with a team of 20 in-house designers to create a style guideline the PC manufacturers can follow to create computer cases that follow the Windows Vista style. The styles that Microsoft is pushing, however, sound very Apple-esque.

Even though Microsoft is offering the how-to kit as merely suggestions for possible PC case designs, some manufacturers don't see it as help. They feel that Microsoft's suggestions could commoditize the PC market even more as companies churn out boxes that look just like everyone else's.

A spokesperson for PC maker Lenovo commented "Our ability to differentiate ourselves comes from our industry-leading innovation,and design is a big part of that."

Microsoft's new-found tendencies towards Apple's style may carry over into its upcoming Zune multimedia player product line as well. Reports suggest that the Zune players will work only with Microsoft's Zune music service, just like the iPod is the only device that can play music purchased from the iTunes Music Store.

Observer Comments

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Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1933 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:03 am Subject:

Hmmm.

Good luck with that, guys.

I'm sure it will really make a difference.


 Reply | Quote
Close Name:jfw Posts: 13 Joined: 05 Dec 2001
Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:08 am Subject: I can see it now.

Knowing Microsoft's sense of taste:

PCs with tail fins.


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Close Name:Ibn Rushd Posts: 51 Joined: 16 May 2006
Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:30 am Subject: PC Cruiser

Quote
jfw wrote:
Knowing Microsoft's sense of taste:

PCs with tail fins.


Well a retro look would be nice, kind of like the PT Cruiser, but it would be a PC Cruiser. They could be cooling fins


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Close Name:Biff Posts: 1479 Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:58 am Subject: PC Cruiser! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh boy, retro! So what's the target market? The bowling shirt wearing, still-lives-with-mom PT Cruiser driver or the "I'm too fat to fit in a Miata" midlife crisis PT Cruiser driver?


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Close Name:jhonka Posts: 77 Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:12 pm Subject:

"Even though Microsoft is offering the how-to kit as merely suggestions for possible PC case designs, some manufacturers don't see it as help. They feel that Microsoft's suggestions could commoditize the PC market even more as companies churn out boxes that look just like everyone else's."

Um, isn't that already the case for the most part?


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Close Name:davebarnes Posts: 114 Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:42 pm Subject: No effect

Good design costs money. Money to create the design and additional product costs.

My Apple Power Mac has a very elegant design. It also has a very high manufacturing cost compared with other cases.

How is good design going to work with "a complete PC system for only $399 (after rebate)"?

I see the tower/desktop PC market (home and corporate) as price driven with no interest in aesthetics. Just look at Dell's boxes as an example.

,dave


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Close Name:brett_x Posts: 307 Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:46 pm Subject: Clearly Lenovo has a leg-up on design..

Quote
A spokesperson for PC maker Lenovo commented "Our ability to differentiate ourselves comes from our industry-leading innovation,and design is a big part of that."


Differentiation is key in branding. Just look how different these brands appear...

Lenovo: http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10000001&catalogId=-840&langId=-1&categoryId=4611686018425057762

HP: http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/en/WF02d/321957-64295-89315.html

Simply amazing.


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Close Name:deasys Posts: 243 Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:13 pm Subject:

Isn't that sweet--MS is offering a Design-By-Numbers kit!

I hope it comes complete with Wizards...


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Close Name:marcsten Posts: 13 Joined: 01 Jun 2004
Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:35 pm Subject:

or the "I'm too fat to fit in a Miata" midlife crisis PT Cruiser driver?[/quote]


I resemble that remark....


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Close Name:Biff Posts: 1479 Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:20 pm Subject:

Quote
marcsten wrote:
Quote
Biff wrote:
or the "I'm too fat to fit in a Miata" midlife crisis PT Cruiser driver?


I resemble that remark....


 Reply | Quote
Close Name:reznorb5 Posts: 23 Joined: 24 Mar 2003
Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:54 pm Subject: 18 months?

It took Microsoft's 20 designers a year and a half to come up with black and white cases with "accelerated curves" and "purposeful contrast?" Why am I not surprised?


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Close Name:horvatic Posts: 99 Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:48 pm Subject: Looks aren't everything

And in Microsofts case looks wouldn't matter. The OS has to look good and be fast and secure. Vista is none of these so the good looking case theory of Microsoft isn't going to work.


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