Dell ups the ante on the Windows experience
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 by Frogboy | Discussion: Personal Computing
For years, PC makers have competed with one another largely on price. PCs, it was said, were nothing more than a commodity. But over the past couple of years, consumers have begun to take the overall experience a lot more seriously.
Last year's successful launch of the Apple iPhone made clear to cell phone makers that yes, the experience a "commodity" provides for the customer matters. PC makers have begun to take note and leading the way is Dell who began pre-loading the new Dell Dock on consumer PCs yesterday.
The new dock, represents a significant improvement for Windows Vista users over the default experience by seamlessly integrating programs and data into the desktop experience. It's a first step to be sure but it's a pretty bold move for one of the world's leading PC producers to take.
While at a glance, one might try to argue that the dock looks like the MacOS X dock. But that would be akin to people saying that the dock in MacOS X is like the LaunchPad that came with IBM OS/2. What makes the Dell dock special is its ease of customization, low memory foot print, and raw performance. In addition, as pretty as the Dell Dock is, its focus is on usability rather than flash. Short-cuts get separated from folders, the category view is designed for ease of access, and dozens of small touches make it feel as if it were a natural part of Windows.
Developed by Stardock's ObjectDock team, the Dell Dock is not based on the ObjectDock code but rather a brand-new Stardock technology platform designed to deliver exquisite performance while being incredibly efficient with system resources.
"We've spent years learning how to integrate new technology into Microsoft Windows to improve the user experience," said Kirk Windisch, Director of Stardock Software. "Now the focus is how to deliver this improved experience to consumers with enterprise-level robustness with a minimum use of system resources."
The Dell Dock is expected to be launched on over 11 million PCs this year. For PC users, it is a first step to a brave new world where the PC makers themselves are taking the Windows experience more and more seriously. Dell has clearly made giving their consumer customers a better experience a priority.
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Reply #42 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:01 PM
Kids are application savvy Frost, but once the OS blows up, most users don't have the fundamental knowledge and navigational skills to fix it. Nor are they taught basic PC maintenance.
I know this well, because I've been repairing these people's systems since '92. And I can say honestly that over 90% of those problems were application and software induced by the user's lack of basic understanding and fundamentals.
If taught correctly, learning PC basic fundamentals could take days or even weeks before you're actually allowed to turn the PC on!
I mean, they may know how to swim, but does that qualify them for the Olympics?
Reply #43 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:03 PM
I think that it's an interesting step for Dell to support a new level of customization though. For them, they have to balance increased support costs with user desires (assuming that this is a user desire and if so, is improved organization another perceived failure of Vista?). In this case, user wants seems to be winning out.
Reply #45 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:17 PM
Reply #46 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:25 PM
No one is going to buy a PC to get a dock. Butting getting a dock might be good for anyone with a new PC. It's defiantly good for Stardock.
Reply #47 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:32 PM
I don't know Zu. I see a few people in here slobbering real hard!
Reply #48 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 12:52 PM
I agree Zu but I see people asking if they can download this at Dell. We already have it here in Impulse although you can't change colors it still does the same thing.
I wish they made a deal with HP. I'm not a real big fan of Dell.
Reply #49 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 1:48 PM
I tried, and it does not appear to be available for current owners if it didn't come preloaded. So I'll stick to the free ObjectDock.
Having grown up with that generation, most aren't very tech savvy beyond working a cell phone or iPod.
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Reply #41 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 11:52 AM
I don't know about this, kids nowadays are 'growing up' with computers. So they are much more savvy when it comes to all this tech than your average 40 year old. So advanced stuff will probably come easier to the next generation.
Just a thought.