Design Prophecy & Occasional Reflections
A Design Genetic Perspective on...everything.
PC is getting it
The PC guy from the Apple commercials seems to get it. PC Hardware are becoming more and more design oriented. It's so obvious when a company have understood design even in a small way. ASUS is one of those that seem to have understood it, the Apple way. This is one example, the new Asus Aspire Revo. Leaving the stiffness for more soft values in their product design can be one of the reasons it has gone so well one the market. Design evokes emotions and by that becomes more human. And that sells. Like the smoothness in the slightly curved line holding the power switch, and movement coming from the interesting contrast in the soft line and the linear and slightly harsh joining between the black and white area in Aspire Revo. The only problem is that it doesn't come with Mac OS X. I would like to have that opportunity (not a Hackingtosh).
So balanced.
The other day Apple revealed the new iPhone OS 3.0. I'm a Mac user since a long time, but I'm also into Windows XP, tried Windows 7, and Linux Ubuntu. I must say that Apple does things so right. Everything works so smooth. They are able to balance a linear and rigid thinking, like programming can be, with a very emotional smoothness that goes all the way from the machine via the software to me as a user, a human. They are innovative and free, but at the same time very practical. People that doesn't like Apple often claim that they are too design oriented and forget functionality. I don't see that. I see how they put humans in the center. It's all about usability, and that's functionality at its best.
Palm on a new path
Palm Pre is an interesting development on the mobile market. The new phone from Palm is a new bold step to protect Palm's position as a market player. It has a new OS called Palm Web OS, based on Linux but relaying on web standard technologies such as html and javascript. Precisely where I believe Apple is going with iPhone and Safari using HTML 5 for animations and web applications. It communicates a moving, warm and emotional personality with its rounded shape, also in the GUI, leaving linear, harsh compositions, and rigid user interface behind. Despite the resemblance with the iPhone it has integrity.
Sony Vaio P, like a Color Pencil Box.
Sony's new 8'' notebook Sony Vaio P is really beautiful. Besides Apple, maybe Samsung, and a few others in the same industry, Sony has a distinct design and identity in its products. Vaio P signals the Free Personality compared to competitors, breaking up traditional beliefs on how laptops should look like with its rectangular and wide shape. Also in a semiotic way, looking like a Color Pencil Box. And as Apple their products radiate quality. The logo Vaio is definitely pulling the product towards a emotional, free, artistic, and spiritual personality. I wonder if it runs on Ubuntu?
