I asserted earlier that sexy PCs don’t matter and that it’s the entire experience (that’s software and hardware and community) that drives consumer interest and enthusiasm. Then NBEHTM posted a link about a sexy Samsung PC yesterday - in light of this development I realize I was wrong and recant my previous heresy.

Just kidding. The Samsung PC looks nice (if maybe a little too much like a clone of the Nintendo Wii) but that doesn’t change the fact that it still runs Windows XP MCE. That means that it’s a bland computer that doesn’t do anything interesting without hundreds of dollars more invested in software to allow the user to do anything. That, plus the fact that this PC will likely be sold with a good-design price premium and you have a yawner of a product.

It’s not that I condescend toward good design - I love it and welcome manufacturers that seek to deliver quality industrial design. Yet it seems that few, if any, manufacturers seem to get the point that a little investment in the software side of their offerings could go a really long way. Apple figured that out a long time ago and the iLife suite was the result. While the likes of HP, Samsung, Sony and others struggle to find ways to drive customer interest with better boxen, Apple has not only delivered the best design, but the best general user experience.