Computers get cool

With strobe lights, confetti and a drum roll, the event to launch Oomph@HP was more like a movie awards night than the launch of a new range of computers.

This was the tech giant’s move to try and take the PC out of the corner of the bedroom and position it as a lifestyle product.

PC sales are expected to hit 8 million units this year, according to hardware industry apex body MAIT, and computer makers are looking for newer ways to expand the market. “We want to position the computer as a lifestyle product and not just as a functional one,” says Rajiev Grover, Head, Consumer Products, HP India.

Sony, on its part, has expanded its notebook range to half a dozen brilliant colours to try to position it as an extension of a user’s image. “The Vaio takes personal style beyond the boundaries of clothing and accessories, adding a technology element to the mix,” says Masaru Tamagawa, MD, Sony India.

Similarly, Acer India has launched the Bright Red Ferraribranded laptop among a slew of other products to try to sell its computers as a lifestyle product and even roped in Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan to promote them.

It’s not just MNCs who are jumping onto the lifestyle bandwagon; Vu Technologies, a spin-off from Zenith Computers, has launched a series of displays, not just like conventional flat computer screens but in several shapes and sizes to try and promote a digital lifestyle experience, says the company’s founder Devita Saraf.