See my new MSI Wind U210? Looks pretty clean, right?
Well, it took a little effort to make my new 12” netbook appear that way. See, I had to spend some time removing the stickers littered all over the wrist rest. Here are those stickers arranged approximately like they were before I peeled them off the laptop:
While removing the sticker summarizing the Wind’s specs was relatively easy, the AMD Neo X2 badge left a significant amount of gum. I actually had to heat some water, dab a cloth in it, and vigorously wipe the wrist rest to eliminate all traces of the stickers.
I still don’t understand why PC makers plaster stickers on their products. And by plaster, I mean “use enough adhesive to make removing these stickers a mini-nightmare."
Even average users pay attention to a computer’s specs. In fact, a common tactic of unethical computer retailers is to wow potential buyers with the numbers (the higher, the better) to make customers spend money unnecessarily on a computer that’s too powerful for their needs.
The point is, those who buy computers are most likely aware of what their new gadget is capable of. Even before I bought the MSI Wind U210, I already knew it featured a 1.6GHz dual-core AMD Athlon X2 Neo CPU, a 250GB hard drive, and Radeon graphics from ATI. Why do I need a sticker reminding me of what my own netbook is capable of?
This isn’t limited only to computers; the Cyber-shot TX1 comes out of the box with stickers plastered on its sliding lens cover, again listing the camera’s capabilities. Yes, I’ll admit I know the rationale behind those pesky stickers – companies want to turn each sold unit into an advertising platform, just in case other people see it in action.
But I didn’t spend money to become a marketing pawn for companies I’ve patronized. If anyone’s going to slap on garish stickers onto my gadgets, it should be me.
If you’re less interested in listening to someone rant about aesthetics, and would like to know more about why I actually bought the MSI Wind U210, tune in next week. Same URL, same section.