The HP Crossfire. iMac Killer Anyone?
Music Player manufacturers throughout the world strive every day to create something more appealing and better functioning than the iPod, but this is clearly a case of trying to fix something that isn’t broken. The iPod is what people want, and the rough estimate of 70% market share is clear proof of that, so it’s no wonder the elegant device developed by the fruity computer giant is a benchmark for other companies. Where am I going with this? I’m talking about the term “iPod killing” of course. You’ve all heard the phrase before and it’s used to describe a company’s attempt at removing the iPods title of ‘King of Portable Music’ – a form of flattery if you will.
Want another form of flattery that thanks to the likes of HP’s upcoming ‘Crossfire’ computer package will soon become common? iMac Killer!
The HP IQ770 ‘Crossfire’ PC is sure to be one of many PC’s aimed at killing off the iMac’s “cool” image. With a 19-inch touch screen, AMD Turion 64 X2 dual processor, 2GB memory, 320GB hard-drive, NVidia GeForce GO 7600 graphics card, WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated 1.3 MP camera, integrated FM and ATSC HDTV tuners, a DVD±RW / DVD-RAM burner with LightScribe, Pocket Media drive bay, wireless keyboard, mouse, stylus, front media reader, one Ethernet port, two FireWire ports, six USB 2.0 ports, 5.1 digital audio out, IR-out, mini-VGA, FM and TV coaxial cable ports, ATSC and two S-Video, you can see it packs an almighty punch – some would say too much. If you take a little look at the picture below, you’ll also see it’s trying to perhaps ‘mimic’ the iMac by having everything built into one, although I’m sure you’ll agree it looks no where near as tasty as the iMac.
The HP IQ770 ‘Crossfire’
Picture source: Engadget.com
But would you say this machine could kill off the iMac’s “cool” image and prevent more Windows users from switching over to the angelic like Macintosh? I say no and here’s why.
Although the Crossfire packs a lovely array of powerful specs to entice even the most uninterested computer user, I believe it packs too much and doesn’t really aim itself at any particular user.
There are a few categories of computer users out there and they are:
Basic users – those that maybe check their e-mails twice a week
Home users – e-mail family and friends a lot, love photos and enjoy browsing the web
Gamers – do all of the above but mostly love their gaming, and any hardcore gamer will tell you that “power” is their aphrodisiac
Business user – graphics designers, webmasters and bankers would all fit into this category. Especially for the graphics designers and video editors out there, power is everything, and I do mean everything
Now if you take a look at the Mac range there’s currently a computer for each type of user, although some could argue that no Mac really fits into the ‘Gamers’ criteria. The Mac mini is set at a reasonable price and doesn’t over do it with the power because it’s not needed, thus, it’s great for the ‘Basic users’. The iMac and MacBook are great for home users because there’s just the right amount of power equalled out with a sensible price. If you use your computer more than most then it’s a great buy. Then there’s the MacPro and MacBook Pro ranges which are aimed directly at Business users and, if you like, Gamers, simply because the power that is needed is there and the price is something that wouldn’t seriously effect large companies.
Now although I like the idea of a computer than can do everything, I don’t think it will appeal to too many others. For the price, $1899 so I’m told, it’s not something that would directly attract the basic users, so they’re out of the question. Home users would possibly splash out the cash and it’s ideal for them in that it can do most of the stuff they’d want to do, as well as acting as a media hub. And for gamers and business users? That 19” touch screen could come in handy, and if it’s power they’re after then they’ve got it, but don’t be blind sighted by the facts. Let’s not forget that this Crossfire machine was designed with Windows Vista in mind and anyone who pays attention should know that Vista is going to need a stupid amount of power in order to run at a comfortable speed. And my idea of comfortable isn’t waiting 5 minutes for something to load.
So suddenly those powerful specifications aren’t really all that impressive and the hardware isn’t all that attractive. You could look to the aesthetics of the Crossfire to sell, but it does look like a reincarnated cross between E.T and that Johnny 5 robot out of Short Circuit. So what’s last on the list in the world of a computer? The operating system. I’m going to wrap this up in one smooth motion, are you ready? It’s got Microsoft Windows on it, albeit with a fancy name and pretty unimpressive graphical user interface.
So looking at the seemingly impressive Crossfire, with its sexy but some-what over-kill features (FM tuner over DAB radio anyone?), I can honestly say that it’s just like any other computer, but on steroids. If anyone is going to kill off the iMac’s cool image, it’s going to be the guys that created it, Apple Computer.
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OR spouts useless partisan points day and night
Heh. Jon Stewart: “HP, you’re hurting America.”
Outside of Apple, is there really an all-in-one market? That is really more of an unanswered question than it seems. Because Apple only places iMacs in the consumer happy median, we really cannot tell for sure how many people are enamored with them vs just settling for them (as the conventional tower form from Apple costs $2500US). The case against such a market is that PC makers—who we say love to copy everything Apple—has not really had a successful AIO unit. You can’t say that the PC form factor never changes, because once upon a time, all of the major computers sold were shaped like pizza boxes. Now, they’re shaped like towers.
Also, unlike AIO, there are PC companies that are successful making “Mini” type PCs (see Shuttle). However, AIOs (outside of notebooks and Apple) seem to not do well.
There is a long, long discussion at the Ars Technica board discussing whether or not iMac sales would be cannibalized by release of say a Mac using Conroes (the standard consumer desktop Core2 chip) inside a PowerMac enclosure for roughly the same price range as the iMac. I’d jump in the reading at about page 40 or so…
PS: As I was typing the above post, I had to fight myself from slipping and using xMac, the Ars Technica-ism for the hypothetical Macintosh described above. Arguments about the viability of such machine has gone on so long there, a shorthand nickname exists.
HP try to implement all in on concept of iMac, and they got it.
I really don’t think that HP try to kill iMac since the market share is to small unlike iPod.
It looks cool for a PC. If i have the money, and interest in buying windows maybe i will buy it. But, not for Mac since there is no simplicity in the design.
Oh i forgot i agree with Beeblebrox argument in competing thingy.
Anyway, how actuaaly windows touch screen works??? Never seen one here
#17. Excellent points once again, Sterling.
#20. Also excellent. You can never go wrong agreeing with me.
Chris Siebold has an interesting idea, which I don’t completely agree with (I don’t completely disagree with it either), but I want to modify into something that to me sounds plausible. Even with their recent successes, Apple isn’t flush with excess marketshare that makes Dell or HP envious (not now that HP is now the top computer seller), but Apple has a hugely disproportinate amount of mindshare. A good deal of that is the result of the iPod, but they do have what are regarded as great looking computers. Sony has recently started mimicking the Apple MacBooks in looks (as well as riffing on the Apple commercials). HP may be trying ways of create their own brand distinction by creating an AIO, though not in such a way as to be accused of copying Apple. (I.e. to get off the xwiredtva oontention they make the same crap as everyone else). Like the same way HP offers these imprint finishes for their notebooks. Note HP’s current slogan: “The PC is Personal Again.”
Septa (post #20), about 8 or 10 years ago, my dad worked in a hotel with a computer that served as a touch-screen information kiosk. How touch screens work are through sensors on the glass or plastic covering that essentailly translates your finger taps and movements into mouse clicks and movements. Imagine a tablet PC but with your finger as the pen, or imagine an invisible trackpad overlaid onto the screen.
Now expanding into that discussion I linked to about iMacs and AIOs, and how successful the niche can be, it makes sense to figure out the benefits and drawbacks of such a product. Benefits include that they look immediately distinctive from towers. They are easier to set up first time out of the box. They typically take up less space than towers+monitors. If you’re determined enough, you can probably travel around with it (though I do not go to the lengths of arguing it as a major selling point as a few in that Ars thread try to).
However, as with many other things, the drawbacks are flip-side compromises to get to those benefits. Xwiredtva notes that the HP above uses a mobile processor. The same is true for the iMac (Merom). Obviously, heat is a consideration (sacrifice for making it smaller than a tower—and with Apple’s “gluing” a computer behind a monitor). I believe Apple uses slower, if not underclocked graphic cards in them as well. For the iMac upgradability is limited to what you can hook up to the available ports. This is a concern to people who remember how long Apple refused to provide USB2 ports in an attempt to keep Firewire afloat. Note all of the rumors of Apple secretly equipting iMacs with pre-N cards. Part of this hope must come from concern for not being forever stuck with last year’s tech, with the only recourse being to buy another computer just two years from now. Same goes for other potential technologies like eSATA, or HD-DVD/BluRay which would be easier be added through cardslots in a tower form factor. (Though the latter would probably be served as well by USB/Firewire. The former, as well as wireless N is too fast for FW400 or USB2.) A related concern would be what if the monitor dies before the rest of the machine or vice versa?
Now not all of these concerns matter to all consumers, and a lot of concerns can be mitigated (ie, get a 24” iMac and you probably futureproofed yourself reasonably well), but some will probably make a consumer hesitant.
Apple has a hugely disproportinate amount of mindshare.
I don’t dispute that, but doesn’t it make you wonder why that mindshare hasn’t transformed into proportionately more sales?
HP, although very successfull when total volume per annum is considered, is not and may not ever be considered in Apple’s, Samsung’s, or Sony’s elite stage as trend-setters any time soon. I even hear that they are about to (or already there) upend Dell in that department.
What HP is lacking (considerably) is what Apple is very well-known for - sex appeal, so to speak. HP, just like Dell, has massive factories that spawns millions of machines (a la the Matrix) that are dull with just enough usability, all the same.
They can perhaps keep churning out these morbid machines and they will keep pleasing their investors for many more years to come.
But their management must now realize what most Apple enthusiasts have known through these past decade of the Mac Renaissance, Apple is amassing a pragmatic while enjoyable technological lead that in the coming years will become uber-important to maintain their status quo.
That is where this Crossfire design prototype comes into play. It is a design direction “field trial” and indicator of public acceptance.
It may appear to have come off from left field at first (meaning wacky but remember the first iPod?) and lots of people will scratch their noggins and ask, “Why?”.
My opinion with the Crossfire is that HP wants desperately out of the bland, crusty shell of its old self. If you are an engineer or technician, you know HPs fabled past of creating super-sturdy test instrumentations that all look identical and operates very much alike. HP has been boring from the start and got rich with it.
Now, the Crossfire is HPs hope to relabel the iconic culture of HP into a forward-looking and inventive company blended with just a right amount of hipness and coolness that makes Apple the talk of the world’s younger generation.
For a sprinkle of fact, I am vising Southeast Asia (and just been in Korea a few days ago) and every tiny bazaar that sells cellphones (they are cellphone crazy here, mind you) they sell the ubercool iPods and accessories. Now, that is marketing power that even a “small” company like Apple can garner the world over.
HP and Dell must be so envious…
For the Crossfire’s list of features, I just hope that they will all be integrated perfectly for I may buy two for each of my wife’s retail stores.
I like the idea of integrating a touchscreen LCD. A point-of-sale (or POS) functionality is but one of its possibilities. As someone already pointed it out, kiosks are too but the LCD panel has to at least 20” for that to be effective.
I can also surmise this to be the best input device there is for the kiddies’ early learning and educational software. What better way for a kiddy user-interface than touching what they can see on the screen?
The 64bit Turion dual-core CPU and the GeForce GO GPU is enough power for >90% of its intended applications. Never mind the gaming crowd. Those already have Dell XPS, Alienware, or Falcon machines to worry about the Crossfire. I reckon those folks are not the intended consumers but hey, they are welcome to sample the Crossfire.
Here’s to HP for again breeding innovation to usability and design. I must hope HP gets it right with the Crossfire for I will be a customer alright if that’s the case.