Back to the future: IT goes analog
Mickey Mouse-shaped MP3 players by iRiver. [JoongAng Ilbo]
Tired of ultra-modern designs, these companies have utilized more unique, design-savvy looks to help their products survive in one of the fastest-developing and most competitive industries around.
In the past, form followed function when it came to IT products, with the most important aspect of a product being the technical specs. PCs have grown notorious for this function-focused perspective, as size and weight had to be given priority with monitors and keyboards. Because of these limitations, consumers were left with little choice other than gray or gray.
But recently, designers of major computer manufacturers have started to break that paradigm.
A tailored laptop by Dutch company Ego Lifestyle. [JoongAng Ilbo]
Its oval-shaped laptop case has the look of a luxury handbag, with an alligator leather exterior, inset Swarovski crystals and a sleek metal handle. The firm sets itself apart from others in the tech set by emphasizing luxury, tradition and texture.
According to the company, you can even order a laptop specifically tailored to your taste. If you favor diamonds, more diamonds you will get.
Although the laptop’s specifications are equal to those of any other highly efficient machine, the price tag can be up to 10 times bigger, approximately $10,000 to $20,000.
Online orders are taken, but you can only see the real thing at department stores in New York, Paris and Dubai.
Common brands such as HP are also moving toward bolder designs. In August, HP gave designer Vivienne Tam the job of giving their new laptop an artistic touch, to coincide with New York Fashion Week. Tam put pink peony blossom patterns on a red background, interlacing the product with her fashion sensibility. This laptop will go on sale worldwide next year.
Desktop markers are also following the trend.
LG recently introduced the Black Picasso 2 as the successor to last years’ release. On the PC’s outer casing, there is an embossed waterwork that looks as if sculpted by an artist.
Dell started selling the Studio Hybrid mini desktop PC series in August. The eco-friendly computers come in a variety of colors, but perhaps their most unique feature is that their outer surface is made of bamboo, to complete the green image.
Miniature IT products have long appealed to more fashionable sensibilities. Unlike laptops, which took a while to become fashionable, miniature IT product have focused on design above price or technology from the beginning. The most obvious example is the iPod, which has grown to become a cultural icon and a strong lesson in how design translates into sales.
The latest product out in Korea that stimulates the analog senses is iRiver’s Mplayer, with its popular Mickey Mouse shape. The new Mplayer Eyes version includes LED lights that act as Mickey’s eyes.
The company’s other MP3 player, the Spin, has added a peculiar sense of touch, with a clacking sound when you turn the wheel, in a bid to stimulate all of a user’s senses.
The People, iRiver’s PMP, attempts to recreate the dial functionally and design of 1970s and ’80s analog radios.
“Our main focus was recapturing the analog sense of past electronic products through tactile and auditory additions,” said Kim Kyung Ryul, marketing director of iRiver’s manufacturing company ReignCom.
In June, Samsung Electronics released a new MP3 player, Yepp S2, that resembles a sleek pebble. Far removed from the familiar square designs of the past, the Yepp has a comfortable, minimalist feel.
And local firm Cowon will be releasing the chic S9, with a contoured hand grip. “The design of mobile products has arrived at the point where it can compete with fashion,” said Cowon public relations representative Park Min-hee.
By Lee Seung-nyung Joongang Ilbo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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