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Computer Company "Apple-izes" PC for Teens
- Thread starter applebum
- Start date
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In all honesty, it looks like one of those ridiculous looking computers that you see in the even more ridiculous teen-geared Saturday morning cartoon.
Whatever happened to the Animaniacs? That was some quality programming.
Whatever happened to the Animaniacs? That was some quality programming.
If you rotate the "p" in hip-e 180°, the name changes to hid-e, as in hid-e-ous looking piece of Windoze garbage.
Maybe someone had a sense of humor about it.
Maybe someone had a sense of humor about it.
powermac666 said:
Or leave it how it is, have the word "hippy" and realize that either the designer was f-in' stoned, or it'll only look good if YOU are stoned.
Best kids show. Ever.stoid said:
(And I wouldn't really consider it a "kids show")BTW, it's on Nicktoons TV now (which is really too bad, because Nick wrecked the opening sequence just to fill it up with their own logos).
TDM21 said:
Very true, I would probably bet that it has intergraded video.
This would defiantly NOT be a computer I would be buying for anything other than looks, or word processing.
I did a quick check on newegg, and for $1,700 I built a computer with two 80GB SATA HDs in a RAID 0, Pentium M @ 1.8GHz, two 512 Mushkin RAM chips in dual channel-cas @ 2.5 (total 1 gig), 8x DVD-R, ATI AIW 9600XT 128MB. Of course this excludes things like tech support, which also make the cost much higher. So it's not really fair, but I don't care.
TDM21 said:
There are several reasons why they would put a mobile processor in it. A mobile processor can use over half as less power as it's desktop counterpart. A Pentium IV EE 3.4GHz processor uses over 100 watts (on full load), while a mobile processor might only use 40 or 50. The less power the better.
Also, this computer seems more like a laptop to me rather then a desktop, so it's important to keep the temperatures down, mobile processors generate less heat since they run at a lower vCore.
The last reason (that I can think of) is for overcloking. Mobile processors tend to have the FSB and multipliers unlocked because that allows the laptop computers to change the speed of the processor, consuming less battery power. Desktops, on the other hand, always have the multipliers locked (but the front side bus is still changeable). But the mother board in the computer probably has both the FSB and multipliers locked.
But the downside can be that the mobile processors are more expensive, and do not come with a heatsink or fan. The reason they are more expensive is because the processor is made out of the center of the silicon wafer, the desktop processors are made from the edges.
"hip-e"? I'm no teen to be sure, but that name should help sell maybe... a dozen? Yet another brace of creatively bankrupt designers trying to imitate instead of create. Reminds me of the "Kitty" PC of last year... had the face of a cat, whiskers and all. The company lasted all of 3 months. You can bet this one will die soon too. $1,700 for a Transformer... ach.
Let's see how much it'd go for as a bottom-level Dell equipped with a good 17" LCD. I'm goign with a Dim 4600 because the lack of graphics specifics lead me to believe this sucker is probably using Intel graphics or something like that. I can't find a 1.5 GHz IA32 desktop so I am going to have to use the 2.4 GHz Celeron, which is no doubt superior.
$1267 without sale, and throw in a cheap TV tuner and WiFi card from CompUSA if you really need them. Much less than one of these things.
And as has been already said, while this is marginally cheaper than an iMac G4, the difference does not begin to make up these facts:
(a) The hip-e probably comes with XP Home, not Pro, so you can't create limited accounts (think about keeping young siblings from deleting the OS). If for that or any other reason you want Pro, it looks like you have to order it from Academic Superstore (I think they'll sell XP Pro Upgrade to high school students) for $100ish.
(b) The graphics chip is likely worthless. They're ashamed to print that specification -- even Dell sort of tells you what you're getting, though it may not always be the Soundblaster Live you think it is. There's no way to upgrade it, so you'd be better off with an iMac or a Dell tower.
(c) The 17" iMac G4 (soon to be replaced with a G5, the specs for which are of course not yet known) has a DVD burner, which is a pretty cheap part; somehow they could not get one into this. Not like you'd probably want to do much video work on it anyhow, but I understand DVDs are pretty good for data backup. FireWire DVD burners cost money.
(d) For the price, I'd like Athlon64, particularly with the impending iMac G5. I understand that 64-bit processing improves performance in Photoshop significantly.
As for their music player, $150 for 512MB sounds like an okay price, but none of the WMA stores seem to be doing very well. Moreover I would not be surprised to see the iPod Mini eventually come down to $199 and kill this market almost entirely.
$1267 without sale, and throw in a cheap TV tuner and WiFi card from CompUSA if you really need them. Much less than one of these things.
And as has been already said, while this is marginally cheaper than an iMac G4, the difference does not begin to make up these facts:
(a) The hip-e probably comes with XP Home, not Pro, so you can't create limited accounts (think about keeping young siblings from deleting the OS). If for that or any other reason you want Pro, it looks like you have to order it from Academic Superstore (I think they'll sell XP Pro Upgrade to high school students) for $100ish.
(b) The graphics chip is likely worthless. They're ashamed to print that specification -- even Dell sort of tells you what you're getting, though it may not always be the Soundblaster Live you think it is. There's no way to upgrade it, so you'd be better off with an iMac or a Dell tower.
(c) The 17" iMac G4 (soon to be replaced with a G5, the specs for which are of course not yet known) has a DVD burner, which is a pretty cheap part; somehow they could not get one into this. Not like you'd probably want to do much video work on it anyhow, but I understand DVDs are pretty good for data backup. FireWire DVD burners cost money.
(d) For the price, I'd like Athlon64, particularly with the impending iMac G5. I understand that 64-bit processing improves performance in Photoshop significantly.
As for their music player, $150 for 512MB sounds like an okay price, but none of the WMA stores seem to be doing very well. Moreover I would not be surprised to see the iPod Mini eventually come down to $199 and kill this market almost entirely.
The whole thing makes me think of the simpson's episode where Homer meets his long lost brother. His bro owns a car company. He see's homer as the typical man of our time and has him design a car because he figure's "the homer" will appeal to all the other homers in america. Homer puts all sorts of absurd gadgets and about 50 cup-holders in the car. It obviously doesn't sell.
I must say that it is rather ironic that you all are running off and doing price comparisons between this and other PCs, but when it comes to comparing what you get for your dollar in a mac, you all say it is the user experience you are paying for. Well, even if this company failed miserably at creating a better user experience, you have to admit that at least they tried (or they are at least pretending to try!) to make a computer that takes it's user's interests into account.
So to summarize this is an overpriced underpowered machine that is targeted at a demographic that tend to know more about computers than any other demographic and to top it off it is essentally a laptop that is not portable! WOW! When can I pre-order one?
HOLY CRAP YOU LIVE NEAR ME!!iMeowbot said:
Anyways, just like what many people here say about the iMac: over-priced, under powered. 1.5GHz? You can get that in a PowerBook FFS! And a trackpad? WTF mate?!
You're sitting on my shoulder, what did you expect?Counterfit said:HOLY CRAP YOU LIVE NEAR ME!!
Anyways, just like what many people here say about the iMac: over-priced, under powered. 1.5GHz? You can get that in a PowerBook FFS! And a trackpad? WTF mate?![/QUOTE]
The bundled software is a trial version of Office, while the iMac and iBook come with enough software to make them useful right out of the box (AppleWorks, iLife, Quicken (okay, that one's not of too much interest to many kids), and) a selection of other neat things). Really it seems like everything for this hip-e machine is an additional cost extra. I hope their sales people have their pimp hats ordered.
Erm, as much as I do not like this machine there is a small point that I think you are missing.
In fact this point is the whole reason why this company made this computer in the first place:
So the real problem here is parents and their lack of knowledge about the computer (which usually seems to be the case it seems). The company thinks it can make a profit because they are designing a PC that looks like and Apple because parents are hesitant to buy an Apple. I know mine were when it came down to an HP or an iMac (even though my Dad had an original MacIntosh). Now that they have seen my iBook and what it can do, they want one like it.
So what it really boils down to is that parents need far more education in computers than what they have now.
Course in the end, I would take this over the Disney PC that I saw around here (of course that is assuming that I would even bother getting one as I would take my Mac over either).
Also remember that not everyone knows/cares to know about how the inner workings of a PC are, and thus have no interest in building one.
Mike
In fact this point is the whole reason why this company made this computer in the first place:
So the real problem here is parents and their lack of knowledge about the computer (which usually seems to be the case it seems). The company thinks it can make a profit because they are designing a PC that looks like and Apple because parents are hesitant to buy an Apple. I know mine were when it came down to an HP or an iMac (even though my Dad had an original MacIntosh). Now that they have seen my iBook and what it can do, they want one like it.
So what it really boils down to is that parents need far more education in computers than what they have now.
Course in the end, I would take this over the Disney PC that I saw around here (of course that is assuming that I would even bother getting one as I would take my Mac over either).
Also remember that not everyone knows/cares to know about how the inner workings of a PC are, and thus have no interest in building one.
Mike
ha ha ha!maxterpiece said:
That's exactly what I thought of when I saw this thing. I'm not 100% anti-PC, but there is no way I would ever even think about buying this thing, for myself or my future children!
I will admit it's got some nice features...mountable monitor w/wireless keyboard..etc.. but it still doesn't justify having that nasty thing in your home.
I agree with what people are saying here but the important bit in the article is
'But the teens said their parents resisted buying Apple computers because they don't run Windows, the platform most people are familiar with.'
So its not important if this PC is a success or not - what is important is people not buying Apple. Its been said before but ....
Apple, advertise to the people that MacosX is great and you don't need windows.
You can hear it now ' Sure honey the Mac looks kinda cool but I heard it doesn't run windows'
Advertising works!!!!!!
'But the teens said their parents resisted buying Apple computers because they don't run Windows, the platform most people are familiar with.'
So its not important if this PC is a success or not - what is important is people not buying Apple. Its been said before but ....
Apple, advertise to the people that MacosX is great and you don't need windows.
You can hear it now ' Sure honey the Mac looks kinda cool but I heard it doesn't run windows'
Advertising works!!!!!!
Caution:
It's easy to mock but Apple shares have already taken a dollar's worth of a nose dive ... the market smells fear .... the writing is on the wall ......
It's easy to mock but Apple shares have already taken a dollar's worth of a nose dive ... the market smells fear .... the writing is on the wall ......
Whigga Spitta said:
homerjward said:
As you can see, Hip-e will be a winner!! DING DING DING!
These computers look like crap. I may not be 15 anymore, but I'm not that old either, and this looks like crap. Instead of asking 2 teenage kids to design a computer, why didn't they ask two cool kids? This won't relate to people over the age of 12, or any 10 year old with an older brother who knows better. Designed by nerdy kids FOR nerdy kids. That's why regular kids won't buy this. Wanna see a PC designed to appeal to teens? Look at an Alienware computer. Now THAT is not meant for an office. It has gaming in mind, and can do all the normal stuff as well.
And instead of double-clicking on the MS Word icon, now they can click on the Papers icon...... wow, the 2 kids who designed this must have some slow friends.
As long as you have no taste and don't care about looks or money, this is the perfect system for downloading porn and MSNing your lone friend, who also thought this Hip-e computer was "hip and groovy!!"
Looks like hip-e is pure hipe, I mean hype.
Oh and I should point out that hip-e is the company and the pc is called the node with a nodebook to come out shortly, you wouldn't want all the hip-e freaks getting mad at you because you called the node a hip-e. But of course who would ever complain about such a slight detail?
Oh and I should point out that hip-e is the company and the pc is called the node with a nodebook to come out shortly, you wouldn't want all the hip-e freaks getting mad at you because you called the node a hip-e. But of course who would ever complain about such a slight detail?
Nermal said:Plus the TAM had a much better startup sound
I really don't know why, but that startup sound is very, very hilarious! It shall go into my iTunes and when shuffle will bring it up, I imagine myself being very amused.