Microsoft CES fashion show flaunts (some) good looking gear

Not content with Apple's design team running circles around the PC world, Microsoft has created a team dedicated to helping OEM manufacturers make their boxes less beige and boring. Ingredients may include: aluminum, leather, carbon fiber and, uhh, cow fur. Microsoft held a fashion show at CES this year to show off the fruits of the PC world's collective efforts, and luckily betanews was there to nab some shots (like the one above). While we're not quite ready to say we're looking forward to more cow fur laptops, recent PC designs like the XPS One give us hope for the future of the beige box.

[Thanks, Shyamal]

[Barry @ Jan 10th 2008 8:21PM]

Sweet hardware, now they just need a good operating system...

[me @ Jan 10th 2008 8:29PM]

what's wrong with boring and dependable? Window users should be glad their systems are boring and...ah, never mind.

[J L @ Jan 10th 2008 8:36PM]

I would love a laptop that had cow-like markings on it, (I do live on a farm after all) but I wouldn't like one that had the actual hair on it. ;)

[Mickey Jones @ Jan 10th 2008 9:36PM]

Maybe Gateway can hook you up.

[Diesel_Mr2 @ Jan 11th 2008 12:43AM]

I was thinking the same thing. My mum would love a laptop like that!

[asianeddie @ Jan 10th 2008 8:39PM]

the blonde on the left has really sexy legs

[majortom @ Jan 10th 2008 9:02PM]

both "blondes" have good legs.

[NewJohnny @ Jan 10th 2008 9:08PM]

GQ meets Maxim meets Microsoft.

[3rdsun @ Jan 10th 2008 9:09PM]

Brown is the new white. That said, Apple beat white to the ground, its they who need a change

[garbuhj @ Jan 11th 2008 12:23AM]

Apparently it is you who needs to keep up with the times. Apple hasn't put out a new white product in quite awhile and has been methodically replacing all their once white products with new colored replacements. Imac - hasn't been white for months. iPod - hasn't been white for months. Last new product revision that introduced a white color product - years ago.

But personally, I think primary colors don't ever go out of style.

[- @ Jan 11th 2008 4:07AM]

garbuhj, white is a neutral, not a primary color. :)

[Andrew @ Jan 11th 2008 10:18AM]

Actually white is every color, but lets not hurt anyones feelings...

[Andrew @ Jan 11th 2008 10:18AM]

Actually white is every color, but lets not hurt anyones feelings...

[Mike D @ Jan 10th 2008 9:14PM]

This actually plays into Apple's hands, if you think about it. While competitors try to out-due each other with increasingly gaudy designs, Apple maintanes a clean, minimalist design that looks stylish instead of desperate.

[js @ Jan 10th 2008 9:18PM]

... by minimalist you mean subpar quality and outdated designs?

[jere @ Jan 10th 2008 10:54PM]

yeah Mike D, you have to understand: cow spots are vogue now.

[michael @ Jan 11th 2008 12:36AM]

You do know, that some of those designs of Apple's, also came from Sony Vaios, right?

I mean after all, the popular chiclet keyboard you see on the MacBook Pro's have been on Sony Vaio FE's quite a while before the MBP's were released.

And Vaios have always had a sort of simplistic design themselves, and usually have had better specs than most PC's.

It's just that most people have never seen them in real life to actually acknowledge them.

[Danger mouse @ Jan 10th 2008 10:00PM]

There's only so much you can do with the form of a laptop, it's gotta be flat, & small. Desktop shape is where I hope we see a whole load more innovation & style, those all-in-ones are a step along the way I guess.

Cow-fur would lose it's novelty pretty quick for me. Hope it doesn't have overheating problems. It would be cool to see more laptop designs using different shell materials though.

[jojo @ Jan 10th 2008 10:31PM]

I always wondered who taught of the brown zune.

Microsoft should stick with software at least you can turn it off if it annoys you.

In the words of Robin Williams these styles would offend a blind gay man.

[phisrow @ Jan 11th 2008 12:05AM]

Things like this are what I don't understand about Microsoft. They have plenty of smart people in house, plenty of assorted partners in industry, and enough spare cash to buy any dozen fashion and/or design outfits. They could have had basically any industrial design talent, not already working directly for Apple, for pocket change. The display models don't even have to work, or be nearing release. They could hire artisans to apply 80 coats of finest varnish, by hand, with a fine brush, to a case built of titanium and areogel by a secret NASA/Skunkworks consortium. I just don't know how they could possibly lose.

And they we see the lineup. A couple of G3 clamshell lookalikes that let Paris Hilton dress them, a computer with fur, and a few computers with paintjobs that Honest Ivan's Not a Chop Shop Garage and Paint Shop could have done in 1994.

This isn't just Microsoft bashing. I honestly don't understand. MS isn't stupid, MS has every desire for PC laptops to look amazing, MS has significant talent available, and MS has more money than god. How can they not succeed at this?

[michael @ Jan 11th 2008 12:43AM]

I agree. There have been several concept PC's from Microsoft before that were pretty amazing:

http://www.istartedsomething.com/20071128/microsoft-ammunition-longhorn-pc-concept/

http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070917/revisiting-microsofts-vista-pc-concept/

I guess if Microsoft did, you would have to wonder how Dell, HP, and other computer makers would feel about this. I bet they would be outraged. But sadly, they can have trouble understanding what simplicity in simple product lines, no stickers, no cheap crap, and a bazillion other things mean. Only Sony is the one that for the most part makes great laptops.

But I wouldn't mind a real ultraslim touchscreen/multi-touch laptop with Surface or Win7 on it.

[Sam Winter @ Jan 11th 2008 2:45AM]

I completely agree. I have wondered this myself many times. Between Microsoft, Dell, and HP, there has got to be almost limitless cash to buy up any industrial design firms they could dream of. AND STILL THEY PRODUCT SHIT! Year after year!!! At least Sony's stuff, especially in Japan, is looking really good lately. Regardless, Apple has wiped the floor with every PC company since it's inception. The industrial design that comes out of Cupertino is truly amazing....

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 9:03AM]

"laptop with Surface"

Umm... You know Surface requires a flat cloth-like table with cameras mounted under it to detect when a finger or object depresses on said cloth, add that to the fact that the image on the "surface" is projected, and you'd have yourself a pretty thick laptop.

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 9:04AM]

"laptop with Surface"

Umm... You know Surface requires a flat cloth-like table with cameras mounted under it to detect when a finger or object depresses on said cloth, add that to the fact that the image on the "surface" is projected, and you'd have yourself a pretty thick laptop.

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 9:05AM]

Ugh, Engadget! Fix your servers!

[Amrit @ Jan 11th 2008 1:04AM]

they should put up a macbook there too... afterall.. its the "fastest" windows laptop... and looks good too !! :P

[rudeban @ Jan 11th 2008 3:43AM]

well i guess its because Microsoft doesnt want to make PCs or laptops on a large scale because that involves a lot more money then a few concepts which are good for PR.

@AMrit

yea the "" quotes on fastest are in the right place
i like mac design but its getting damn conformist if you ask me with everything and everybody wanting to be the same... takes the personal out of PC

[will @ Jan 11th 2008 12:25PM]

Okay, Okay, but wait: is that a "more cowbell" reference engadget? For shame.