Well, is it a notebook PC or a piece of fashion jewelry? You'd never be able to tell looking at Dell, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: DELL) ad for the new Adamo ultra-chic notebook PC, the company is trying to out-do Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) MacBook Air and other super-thin and super-expensive laptop PCs with more thin than more substance. At $2,000, the Dell Adamo is a weak PC performance-wise, but a sleek piece of machinery design-wise.Will anyone buy one, though? It's already more cash than Apple's thin-n-sexy entry-level MacBook Air offering, and consumers are strapped as it is. Industry pundits see the move by Dell as just one to keep its name in tech circles as a company who can do design, albeit for yet another piece of commodity computer hardware (at least, inside the shell). Who cares if Dell sells only 10,000 of them if it brings brand awareness back to the company most known for making direct-to-order PCs via the web possible?
In an age where cellphones are fashion statements more than functional devices (yes, a phone is a phone is a phone), Apple and Dell are trying to create buzz in a slow market. Cheap netbook PCs are selling like hotcakes and generally cost under $500, while weighing less than three pounds. It may be unfair to compare the Adamo to this product category, but when Dell spokesperson Michael Tatelman says "This is a bit more experiential than just a story about a PC. The craftsmanship of this product is more like a fine watch or jewelry," I have to wince. A PC is a utility device -- not a diamond. If there are any customers buying PCs on slender looks, Apple already has the market cornered. Sorry.
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