Did Razer Just Redefine the PC Market?

This past weekend was PAX Prime - The Penny Arcade eXpo dedicated to all things gaming. And in between talk of the next Halo launch and discussions around Bioware's upcoming epic Star Wars MMO, Razer launched their new laptop - the Blade - a product that may just redefine the PC market.

For those who don't know, Razer is a high end gaming peripherals company. Essentially they manufacture $200 gaming mice and keyboards that constantly push the limits of how consumers interact with their computers.

While I had seen some of their previous "laptop" like prototypes, nothing prepared me for the awe inspiring machine that they were secretly creating.



So why is this launch important? And why should anyone outside the PC gaming community care? Here are two reasons:

1) It represents Design Thinking being brought back to the PC.

When it comes to staple goods, design is the great differentiator. Its sad to say that computers have become a staple, but Apple is really the only company today that is able to wow consumers by placing design thinking at the core of their products. Their products haven't always worked the best, but they feel the best. They approach all of their products from a consumer perceptive and this has allowed them to create a serious cult following.

Razer has always done the same thing with their products. The Naga mouse is a perfect example. With its 17 buttons (including a full number pad strapped to its side), it might seem ridiculous at first, but once you've use it you can't put it down.

It looks like they are about to do the same thing with the Blade. Moving the track pad to the right of the keyboard shows just how far they are willing to push the popular idea of how a laptop should look and feel. They understand that track pads get in the way, so why leave it where it is? They understand that most gamers use a mouse, so why not give the trackpad a new use and turn it into an LCD screen?

Net net, its a well designed product.

2) Its going to cost nearly $3000.

Why has HP been thinking about dumping their PC business? Its not because they don't sell enough computers, its because they can't sell them for enough money! Lower margins on this product line (in comparison to their enterprise solutions business) has got them questioning why they are dedicating resources to it.

Why does Apple love their laptop line? Because they can charge a lot for them! It looks like Razer is going down this road - producing a well designed machine and charging a premium for it. Further, they are launching it with one build only - Take it or leave it, no customization allowed. Definitely not something that Dell or HP would ever do!


As much as I love Apple I think they should watch out - If design is their great differenciator it looks like Razer may have just beat them at their own game.