High Concept

When we visited the topic of concept PCs nearly two years ago, almost every computer manufacturer had introduced or announced plans for "beyond the beige box" designs, inspired by the success of Apple's first-generation iMac. But less than two years later, most PC makers have shelved or scaled back these plans. Why? Consumers just don't seem to want the things.

Of the dozen concept PCs we showcased two years ago, more than half have been discontinued or never made it to market. Apple successfully sued several iMac knockoffs into oblivion; all-in-one models from NEC and Toshiba have quietly been killed; and even PC leader Dell discontinued its WebPC only a month after our story appeared. Machines like the Ottoman PC from Sozo Design and the Magic Bean from Yeong Yang never made it past prototype stage.

Some models might simply have been too much, too soon. Compaq's award-winning EZ2000 was alternately compared to a toaster and a giant snail, and it was discontinued shortly after introduction when no one bought it. The company is now working on an inventive concept laptop called Dual Worlds that can be disassembled into components for use as a desktop. But as if to demonstrate the maxim Once bitten, twice shy, the product is still in the research stage, with no release plans scheduled.

And it has taken all this time for Apple to regain its wind, finally introducing its newest iMac, which resembles a desk lamp. Apple's last concept PC, the infamous Macintosh G4 Cube, was a debacle, standing as a stark warning to those who'd elevate form over function. Not only did the G4 Cube suffer from heat problems and a crack-prone case, it was expensive and underpowered. Pathetic sales prompted the company to kill it within a year of launch in July 2001.

PC vendors have been paying attention. Today's concept PCs look remarkably down-to-earth, a far cry from the Intel-commissioned concept Bonsai, which stuck components on a pole rising from the floor, or the Ikebana (also commissioned by Intel), which looked like a future-shocked collection of jagged rocks. The only alternative-design models left include small form factor machines like the e-PC from Hewlett-Packard, the Evo D500 (the Compaq model that replaced the iPaq desktop in February), and a few all-in-one models from Gateway, IBM, and Acer.

'No Compelling Reason'

Why are alternative designs being banished? In a recent Gartner survey, numerous respondents expressed interest in the devices but were hesitant to purchase them. Expandability and standardization concerns popped up on respondents' lists of complaints, but most telling was the observation that companies had "no compelling reason to switch from standard desktop PCs." In an era where PCs and related peripherals are seeing a 20 percent sales drop (per NPD Intelect), and neither Hewlett-Packard nor Compaq are strongly promoting their small form factor PCs, purchasers are right to wonder whether vendors will continue to support products that push the design envelope.

A few enterprising vendors are committed to the idea of new form factors, and innovation continues, just at a slower pace. Alec Gefrides, ease-of-use marketing manager for Intel Labs, says that concept models are critical for advancing technology. But while most people focus on design, he says, "We were trying to change what you could do on the inside" with concept models. He points out that the latest Pentium 4–based e-PC from Hewlett-Packard borrows all of its knowledge from a concept model called Deep Forest. And for USB 2.0, Bluetooth, built-in antennae, and 3GIO (Third Generation I/O) technologies to take root, continued concept work is a must. But Gefrides notes that while aesthetics are important "as PCs move from the office to the living room," he dismisses art for art's sake. "Changing your skin just for the sake of changing your skin . . . we all realized there's not much value there," he says.

Or is there? Sony continues to innovate "the skin" of computers, most recently with its MX series PC, which looks more like a piece of stereo equipment (and that's the idea). Says a company spokesperson, "Sony didn't get into the PC business to make boring beige boxes."

Compaq, meanwhile, calls its iPaq "wildly successful," and its new Evo is receiving early praise. According to Compaq spokesperson Tiffany Smith, building concept models has to be part of any computer vendor's job. "People say the PC is dead?" she asks. "Well, if you don't continue to innovate, it will die."

Copyright © 2002 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Ziff Davis Smart Business.