[NTLK] APPLE'S eMATE: COOL COMPUTER, DUDE

Here's a little gift from the internet I found today, from
businessweek.com:

APPLE'S eMATE: COOL COMPUTER, DUDE

Apple eMate

Designer: Apple Computer Inc.

 From the start, it was clear that Apple Computer Inc. designer
Thomas Meyerhoffer faced a tall order: to come up with a computer
that would be irresistible to kids from kindergartners to high
schoolers. What he came up with is the eMate, a translucent, Space
Age-looking purse that is compact enough for small hands yet so
sturdy it can take a playground beating. Equally cool: its $800 price
tag, which is far less than the typical $1,500-plus for most
classroom computers.

Judging from the early reactions, Meyerhoffer passed the test.
Throwing aside the typical portable PC's boring, boxy shape, the 32-
year-old designer took a gamble on a radical new look that combines
curves, sharp edges, and an unusual material for the casing:
polycarbonate, the same rugged stuff that's used in protective
goggles. ''The kids think it's really cool,'' says Ted Perry, an
educator in Carmichael, Calif. ''It doesn't look like something they
should be worried about.''

On the contrary, eMate was designed to be as inviting as possible.
While there's no comfy way to pick up today's laptops, eMate features
a sturdy handle and a thin front edge for tiny hands to clasp. The
oversize clamshell top leaves plenty of room for students to rest
their arms while drawing on the screen with the stylus. And
Meyerhoffer added touches out of sheer whimsy. When not using the
stylus, students can store it, inkwell-style, in two holes along the
sides of the keyboard.

That doesn't mean this is just a kid's version of a product designed
for adults. Meyerhoffer was careful not to belittle the fashion sense
of a generation with sophisticated tastes about the sneakers,
skateboards, and clothes they buy. ''If you give them something that
looks like it's from Toys 'R' Us, they're going to say 'Get that out
of here,''' says Meyerhoffer. Nor is the see-through exterior just a
trick to grab a kid's attention. Meyerhoffer opted for a dark-green
color that creates an air of mystery and is still a selling point for
the adults, who are writing the purchase orders. ''If it was totally
clear, it would look like it costs $25. After all, this is an $800
computer,'' says Meyerhoffer.

He did have one major advantage in coming up with this new look.
While portable computers require clunky disk drives and power
supplies, the eMate is based on Apple's more efficient Newton
software, which eliminated the need for such parts. That not only
makes the eMate sleeker but more reliable.

Apple's top brass couldn't be more enthusiastic. Under pressure to
come up with standout products, Apple execs decided to let
Meyerhoffer go hog-wild, a departure from Apple's conservative design
approach over the past two years. ''I wanted to bring back the iconic
quality of our products,'' says Meyerhoffer. ''That's what Apple is
supposed to be about--doing products that set us apart.'' In this
case, far apart.

By Peter Burrows in Cupertino, Calif.

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