This is the function over form argument, and I am saying it does not apply to computers. If you buy a machine because it looks cool, you are no longer purchasing a tool but instead a decoration.
It is hard to do this with computers, because the only person there to impress is yourself. If you are buying a server, that's one thing, because you can show it to other admins and say, 'Hey, look at this!' and they will recognize the quality of your box. But alienware makes no servers, they make game platforms. When was the last time anyone went over to see someone's new PC? So the case looked cool, so what? 99% of the time that box is being run with one person in the room who couldn't case less about how it looks. What matters is how it performs, and alienware is good at making things go faster. But you could go to arstechnica and find out every trick you need to know to make the machine go faster. Which leave the case design as the only distinguishing feature of alienware's value proposition. As we have already stated, the case is what stands out and it will primarily only be seen by the owner of the machine. Meaning, someone pays 25 - 75% more for a PC to glamorize a machine only that person will look at. This means people are paying thousands for a case, one that (pragmatically speaking) serves almost no other function. What makes this different from furniture is that the form of furniture is important to people. Other people sit on it, and it is either comfy, tall, squishy, hard, etc. But the form of a PC shouldn't really matter, since 99% of the time no one ever sees it. M -----Original Message----- From: Kevin Graeme [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 1:37 PM To: CF-Community Subject: RE: Alienware's new case My experience with Black & Decker is that they are poor quality tools aimed at budget consumers. Alienware is fine quality aimed at people with too much money. Part of me agrees with your argument about not being able to take it out to impress people, but then why do people buy nice furniture? I'm not driving that cherry wood coffee table down the street either. -Kevin > -----Original Message----- > From: Haggerty, Mike [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 12:27 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Alienware's new case > > > Buying an Alienware case makes no sense. All it is is a tweaked out > funny looking PC that you could put together yourself cheaper. > > Think about it: there could never be a Porche of PCs. You can't take > it out and impress women, you can't use it to blaze down the highway. > All you can do is sit in your room and type away - now that I think > about it, Alienware > is more like the Black & Decker of PCs. A good tool, but usually not worth > the money. > > M > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ben Doom [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 1:04 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Alienware's new case > > > Dude, already saw it this morning -- I'm on their mailing list. :-) > > *twitch* *twitch* > > I /so/ want one, but can't afford it right now. Income will increase, > though. More projects coming up for me. > > > -- Ben Doom > Programmer & General Lackey > Moonbow Software, Inc > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
