Dell (and Others) Trying to Catch Up with Apple's Style

[CWallace]

I bought the Al iMac because I wanted to move to OS X.

If I was still wedded to Windows as my primary OS, something like the Dell XPS One or the new HP and Sony all-in-ones would appeal to me for the same reason - I like the lack of lack of wires and having everything in easy reach in one place.

That the Al iMac just looks slick was a welcome bonus.

 

[palmerized]

Everyone has been playing catch up to Apple in terms of hardware and software design -- I'm talking look and feel/user experience -- not performance specs.

Some of the new Dells (XPS) and even some of the HP machines look nice. But, the plastics and other materials used in the products don't seem to be of the same quality as Apple. I'm not saying Apple machines are indestructible, but they are pretty decent. I was using a new Dell here at work, and the keyboard felt so cheap -- same with a Toshiba. IBM Thinkpads -- tops in terms of reliability, IMO.

There's a reason every TV show out there uses Macs as props -- it's because they're slick-as-hell

 

[RoboCop001]

For anyone who gets Toronto's CityTV, did you see that episode of Breakfast Television that had a bunch of products on the table and one of them was the HP Touchsmart?

lol it took the entire segment to load, and even after they went through all the other products, it still hadn't fully loaded.

Although it looked like the screen was black the whole time, maybe they didn't even turn it on right lol

But the woman said "OH wow it still hasn't loaded yet. Well that's all the time we have!"

Can't look good for HP.

 

[eRondeau]

Why does everybody make such a big deal about boot times? I've owned a Mac for four years and I've maybe re-booted it four-dozen times, almost always for software updates and the occasional OnyX clean-up. So what's that, maybe 90-minutes wasted over four years waiting for it to boot? BFD. If waiting for your computer to boot-up is such a major part of your life, I would strongly suggest you're using the wrong computer.

 

[CWallace]

For anyone who gets Toronto's CityTV, did you see that episode of Breakfast Television that had a bunch of products on the table and one of them was the HP Touchsmart?

lol it took the entire segment to load, and even after they went through all the other products, it still hadn't fully loaded.

Although it looked like the screen was black the whole time, maybe they didn't even turn it on right lol

If it was pre-loaded with Windows Vista and this was the first time they turned it on...

At work we get eval laptops from HP with Vista. It takes the better part of 30 minutes for them to boot on first start-up.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Well... look at the bright side... Dell's wireless keyboard has a number pad on the side of it.

 

[jackc]

It's not bad, there's really not much to do in desktop design these days, it's just a flat screen monitor.

 

[gnasher729]

Maybe once there's more design PC:s Apple would eventually open OSX for generic hardware? Who knows.

That doesn't make any sense at all.

One can build a cheap computer with low profit margin or a more expensive computer with better profit margin. Apple tends to make more expensive computers with higher margins. Now you could make the point not unreasonably that there are customers who can't or won't afford a more expensive computer, and by making MacOS X available to those customers Apple would get money out of that part of the market.

However, these "design" PCs are expensive. They are intended to be sold to people who could afford to buy a Mac (maybe Dell has figured out that they sell ten times as many computers as Apple, get three times as much revenue out of it and less than half the profit). They are often more expensive than a comparable Macintosh. By supplying MacOS X to _those_ computers, Apple would lose a lot of money with every copy of MacOS X sold.

 

[Bakey]

This is so funny!

For years [and I really do mean years!!] I've taken the abuse from my PC fraternity loving friends and comrades that Apple is nothing more than form over function...

Weeelllllll!! The Dell and Sony marketing departments have clearly seen this as being something of worth - unfortunately their choice of operating system still leaves a lot to be desired...

Nuff said!!!!

 

[Aussie John]

Its all no different to the car market. Just because you have a design team doesn't mean your product isnt going to look crap. Some are leadsers of design trends and others are followers.

 

[CWallace]

Well... look at the bright side... Dell's wireless keyboard has a number pad on the side of it.

Which was actually a deal-breaker for me, so I kept the basic wired keyboard on my iMac.

Honestly, if not for the fact that I love the "multi-function function keys" on the iMac keyboard, I'd just get another Microsoft 7000 series keyboard and mouse. I really like those at work.

 

[darthraige]

Haha.

Keyword: "Trying."

 

[CWallace]

Haha.

Keyword: "Trying."

Hey, the PowerMac 8600 wasn't exactly the pinnacle of PC design in her day, either.

 

[50548]

Lol @ PC "fashion show."

I guess it is god the industry is trying to catch up, hopefully this will bring even better products from Apple.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

In other words, just as they come up with their fashionably ugly craPCs, Apple continuously sets the bar even higher with major breakthroughs and REALLY creative products...pink? Flat? Come on, this is so old for Apple...

Apart from the fact that the TRUE difference lies in OS X and Apple's marvellous integration between software and hardware, not beige or dalmatian cases of any kind...Apple is ALWAYS DRIVEN by design, while ALL the others are NOT.

The Windows PC industry stinks of copycats, just that...and Microsoft, as usual, leads such "fashion" show of boring copies...there couldn't be a better time for Bill to step down and see its company founder in a few years...

 

[MacsAttack]

there couldn't be a better time for Bill to step down and see its company founder in a few years...

So what's new? Thought MS had been doing that for the last 5 year or so...

 

[TechHistorian]

Good now Apple should Try to Catch Up with Dell (and Others)'s Price ...

Actually, the Dells are more expensive than comparable iMacs. Mossberg's review even points this out.

 

[RoboCop001]

If it was pre-loaded with Windows Vista and this was the first time they turned it on...

At work we get eval laptops from HP with Vista. It takes the better part of 30 minutes for them to boot on first start-up.

Really?? That's redonculous.

 

[Adokimus]

a simple concept that many miss...

Competition is now, as always, a good thing.









p.s. - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9839464-1.html

 

[philly6687]

Dell XPS One= iMac
Gateway One = 20th Anniversary Mac + iMac

How do those PC designers come up with this stuff......

____________
MacBook. 8GB iPod Touch. 30GB iPod Video.

 

[B3CK24]

I have to sell the XPS one at work (I work at Best Buy) and honestly, they are built pretty well after looking at them and I reaaaaaally love that they have the built in tracking pad on the keyboard just like the laptops, but thats about it. I always end up taking a customer over towards the Apple table to look at the iMac.

I'll give Dell one thing though, it is much MUCH better built than the lame excuse of an all in one by Gateway called the "one".. I have not sold one of those and I think I will refuse. They are thicker than my samsung lcd TV and the screen is so flimsy and you can actually press the lcds from the outside, what kind of BS is that..

Go

 

[sas76]

Firstly I own a new iMac and I love it. I am not new to Mac's I have owned a few since a G3 powermac way back.

But I didn't buy any of my mac's for there looks, I bought them because it is what I could afford and they did everything I wanted.

If apple put out an ugly grey box (dell etc) loaded with great hardware and OSX , I would have bought one if it was cheaper then the iMac.

Just a different look at this topic, desigh is great but....

Cheers
Shane

 

[John-S]

Don't forget Dells new display:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2243334,00.asp

; )

 

[Jonny427]

On closer inspection... these are loafers. - Rainier Wolfcastle

How come no one quoted this yet?

 

[flashframe]

That Dell Thing

It looks very hi-tech circa 1983.

Design is about emotion, moving with your soul, where shifting a degree to the left or to the right is a broad stroke...or not...Design is being able to tell and feel the difference between chartreuse and verdent green, about discovering masculine angles and feminine curves and vice versa. It's a world within a world within a world where subtle changes influence the big picture. Marry that to technology and you get what Apple is about.

Good luck Dell. But only throwing a lot of money at it won't make it a good design.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Urgh. Here's the visible components of an iMac when sitting at in while it's on:
Stand
Bezel
Black screen border
Screen
Apple Logo

It's a good design because it's simple and uncluttered. That dell is neither.

Not sure why Apple had to make the Al iMac have a black boarder, however I am not taking too well with it. They should have either made the entire computer Al similar to the MBP or keep the back border and use a darker Al composite. At present the Al iMac is the worst compared to its design history.

It's not bad, there's really not much to do in desktop design these days, it's just a flat screen monitor.

This is quite apparent with the iMac G5 and the Al iMac, the only other direction the industry can go in an all-in-one design is plaster the components as flat as possible to the screen. This design of the iMac is already stale. Same goes for a laptop, you can only make it so thin or rotate the screen and presto you have a tablet. Nothing new here folks.

Which was actually a deal-breaker for me, so I kept the basic wired keyboard on my iMac.

Honestly, if not for the fact that I love the "multi-function function keys" on the iMac keyboard, I'd just get another Microsoft 7000 series keyboard and mouse. I really like those at work.

Actually I like the new Apple Wireless Keyboard, I have the previous model with the number pad and wireless if you want it make an offer.

Firstly I own a new iMac and I love it. I am not new to Mac's I have owned a few since a G3 powermac way back.

But I didn't buy any of my mac's for there looks, I bought them because it is what I could afford and they did everything I wanted.

If apple put out an ugly grey box (dell etc) loaded with great hardware and OSX , I would have bought one if it was cheaper then the iMac.

Just a different look at this topic, desigh is great but....

Cheers
Shane

True I never bought any of my Mac products which were usually a PowerBook > iBook > iMac > MBP cycle for their design it was just a bonus, it all depended on price and functionality of my requirements at that given time.

Could never justify a PowerMac or MP as I am either mobile or in love with my free desk space.

Since the MB have a glossy screen, I believe I will go ahead and purchase a MacMini (if only it could handle a 30" ACD).