The computer has evolved and the most striking examples of this is the modern day laptop. As businesses get more demanding and with corporations spending most of the buying on laptops for employees, the newer models from vendors almost always pack more functionality and features into those meant for the professional.
Some in the market believe this has worked to the detriment of computers and systems, which are meant for the consumer segment.
“The computer is no longer personal. It no longer speaks to the individual and performs the functions that an individual with specific needs might like it to perform. Our agenda in the next few months is to make the system an intensely personal one again,” says Anil Gandhi, general manager, Personal Systems Group (PSG) of HP Middle East.
HP launched its campaign to push the computer into once again being a truly personal device about a month ago in the Middle East. And the recent launch of the HP Pavilion dv2000 notebook for the region at Beirut, Lebanon, is just a step in that direction, albeit a very firm one.
Consumer and the corporate
While the corporate segment still contributes much of the business of the HP PSG division in the Middle East region, the company has been seeing a healthy growth in the consumer segment with increasing customer awareness and this is where they hope to tap in further.
“The consumer segment contributes around one-fourth of PSG’s revenues at the moment. But we are seeing tremendous growth in the segment and hope to grow more than the present growth rate to achieve a bigger market share. Since the corporate segment is also growing fast, I don’t see any major changes in the ratio of the revenue figures in the next few years. But in absolute numbers and value, we are talking big growth,” Gandhi adds.
The newest product launch from HP is built to tap further into the reaches of the consumer market.
“We designed and produced the product after intensive research in countries across the world. Our product team put together feedback from various consumers on what they would like a really personal device like a laptop do and the HP Pavilion dv2000 is a result of all that work,” says Elena Danici, consumer notebooks product manager, PSG, HP Middle East
Built on the principles of minimalist design, the notebook is marketed as the perfect gadget for the consumer who needs a good system at home that can be shared with family for entertainment and media. It also performs some of the most basic office functions, making it thus a good travel companion as well.
“Today’s consumer is less interested in the pure technological capabilities of a product like how much the RAM and how big the memory is and so on. What he is really interested in are the features, which could include anything from what kind of a screen it is, how light the laptop is and what kind of media features it packs in,” Danici adds.
The entertainment game
Strictly speaking, HP’s new notebook would fall into the category of entertainment PCs. The vendor also is pushing the product as one.
“The only competition that we see in the market for entertainment PCs for this product is Toshiba,” Danici says.
Toshiba’s Qosmio range of high-end entertainment notebooks have been ruling the market in the Middle East with a clean 60% market share from the time of it’s launch.
“We have been growing at a 100% year-on-year with our products and Qosmio forms an important part of that growth,” says Santosh Varghese, regional sales and marketing manager, Middle East Computer Systems Division of Toshiba in the Middle East. He predicts that by 2008, about 30% of all notebooks sold in the region would be entertainment PCs.
“We target Qosmio to the tech-savvy individuals, locals with large spending capacity and the geeks who go in for the beauty of the technology. We also mainly look at the influencers who set the trend,” adds Manuel Linnig, public relations manager, marketing division, Computer Systems Group, Toshiba.
Priced anywhere from AED 8000 to AED 12000, Qosmio considers HP’s new launch as welcome competition.
Ground basics
“We are targeting the knowledgeable consumer with the dv2000. The technology it offers at the price points it comes in is a great combination,” Gandhi says.
Starting at US$1,100, the Pavilion dv2000 does offer a good choice for the consumer who is looking for a family entertainment option, which is mobile and which offers some eye-catching features. But to make a true mark in the region, the product would have to offer a convincing proposition to the all powerful channel and reseller base.
“We are working on our channel program with the new product and we do not see any problems in approaching the market with the product,” Gandhi says.
HP’s new notebook has been launched at a stage where interest in entertainment PCs is growing in the region. With only Toshiba as a serious competitor in the space, HP is entering a field which is devoid of most of the other major vendors and therefore has a chance to make a big mark in the segment.
All of this depends on how personally the consumer takes HP’s message.
Boxes
Technical specifications
— Available with mobile Intel or AMD processors
— Optional NVIDIA GeForce Go 7200 discrete graphics with Intel, and
standard NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics and NVIDIA nForce Go 430
chipset with AMD processors
— Integrated wireless support for 802.11 a/b/g Wireless LAN and Bluetooth
technologies
— 5-in-1 media card reader
— As many as three USB 2.0 ports
— ExpressCard/54 Slot
— 6-cell standard and 12-cell battery available for additional battery life
Key features
— New touch-technology buttons enable users to launch media applications
and control volume and mute functions with the touch or swipe of a finger.
The latch-free notebook also features subtle, back-lit LED indicator lights to
enhance its sleek and
sophisticated design.
— The dv2000 also has an integrated HP Pavilion Webcam and the experience is enhanced by the crisp and clear 14.1-inch optional, high definition BrightView wide-screen LCD display.
— The dv2000 features the latest version of HP QuickPlay 2.1(1), which plays DVD or MP3 files without booting up
— Control the dv2000 from as much as 10 feet away with the HP Mobile
Remote Control stored in the ExpressCard slot.
— The dv2000 is available with integrated LightScribe DVD±R/RW SuperMulti
drive
