At this month's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) - which is the largest of its kind and held each year in Las Vegas - three fashion-industry players left the world of couture and catwalks to judge models of a different kind. In a competition staged by Microsoft, top photographer Nigel Barker, hip-hop trendsetter Tony Shellman and stylist/entrepreneur Misa Hylton-Brim turned their attention to the 12 most stylish Windows-based personal computers that will hit the market this year.
The three judges paid close attention to the design, colour, curves and overall aesthetic appeal of the models. Some were slim and square, others were more rounded. Some were clad in leather while a few were lacquered.
The top three included mainland firm Haier's Notebook VM, which sports a car-quality paint job and has its screen and keyboard linked via a rotary spindle to allow users to pull the screen upwards and forwards. Other awardees included the Sony LT, a wall-mountable high-definition television with a Vaio PC tucked into its side panel, and the ultimate winner - Dutch firm Ego Lifestyle's Signature PC, a laptop with a rounded design resembling a lady's handbag available in a leather, chrome, titanium or lacquer finish.
What we are witnessing is the 'feminisation of technology'. Gone are the days of engineering-driven manufacturing and marketing. Say hello to more stylish, fashion-forward designs, catering to popular demand.
'Product differentiation in the PC industry is getting harder and harder to achieve based on technical specs,' says Nadine Kano, marketing director for experience computing at Microsoft. 'People have always wanted power, speed and reliability, but these days they can get comparable disk space, processor speed and RAM from many PC manufacturers. To get something unique, people are now looking for style.'
Computer maker Lenovo, the mainland's largest information technology company, is betting this year will see demand soar for its line of stylish notebook computers: IdeaPad. At the CES, some critics claimed the IdeaPad U110, due to be released in March, would be 'one of the sexiest laptops' on the market.
Designed for women, it features a floral textured, red aluminium lid. It also has touch-sensitive media controls, a Dolby Home Theatre sound system, a solid-state drive and Lenovo's Active Protection System, which shields the hard drive in the event the notebook is dropped. Deservedly so, the laptop was awarded best in show in the computers and hardware category by interactive media firm CNET.