Razer takes over where Voodoo left off...

I wanted to write something about my Razer Blade experience, but instead of going into a typical hardware review, I’d rather talk about the company first.

Lately it’s rare I see something so unique and relevant in PC hardware that I almost had to pinch myself when Razer sent me their new Blade notebook. This is the first time since I left Voodoo that I’ve seen a PC company build something that’s so close to perfect, I’m proud to carry it.

Since leaving HP-Voodoo people look at me cross eyed when I carry something “normal”, and yet when I use a Macbook Pro I feel somewhat guilty. Regardless of where I work, I prefer using Windows – I grew up using it – and even when I use Bootcamp or Parallels on the Mac it’s just not the same as a PC. Razer has presented power users like me an opportunity to get the best of Windows with incredible hardware design. When I pull it out in a meeting the room goes bonkers. ...and I seriously can't wait to see what they have in store for Windows 8.  

The Razer Blade is a total departure from anything on the market right now, they have something special and I’m not sure that they themselves fully appreciate it.

Besides the amazing crafstmanship, the quality of materials, unique ID, beautiful packaging, and the fit and finish, the Razer brand is something else. Razer built their brand on a thriving community, they have evangelists all over the world who live and breathe their products very similar to Apple in their early days. People overlook this important ingredient too often, the small community Apple once fostered became a movement that helped make them who they are today. 

Razer’s community is made up of hardcore gamers from all over the world; they built their business by creating really interesting gaming accessories for Xbox and PC. Now they’re raising their own bar by creating halo products that pull people higher into their brand ecosystem.

I believe Razer has a chance of creating a similar “Apple-esque” movement in the Windows PC space. Though it will be on a smaller scale, no one should underestimate the power of a thriving ravenous community. There are many strategic plays here, one just has to use their imagination.

What about the Razer Blade?

From the moment you open the outer box you’ll instantly appreciate the construction and beauty of the packaging. The packaging reminds me of the original Voodoo Envy, from the contrasting color tones, to the use of textures and forms vs 4 color print. Razer even went as far as to create a beautiful yet subtle carbon fiber look in the packaging, and they cut a blade-like edge into the box.

It’s so hot you want to display the box on a shelf.

When you lift the cover of the package you’re greeted with your Blade, beautifully wrapped in a cellophane cover. This notebook is exactly the same thickness as a Macbook Pro, it has a slightly wider footprint due to the large interactive touchpad and multi-function keys on the right hand side of the keyboard.

I’d like to do a video blog on it and I will – for now I’ll just say the Razer team did an outstanding job, they didn’t cut corners. They backlit the keyboard, backlit the logo on the back of the lid, kept it thin and light by using the right materials.  No fingerprints! The key action is awesome! They used quality hardware throughout – and even included an LED display keyboard and touchpad with some very useful functions. There are a few nitpicks I have, and I shared them with Razer, including the speakers - I wish they were better..but you can't have everything.

Oh my goodness, did I mention the power adapter? It's super thin, super light, hardly noticable. I know I've been out of hardware for a couple of years, but this power adapter is ridiculous, I don't know how they did it.


..and yes it can play Crysis and every other game you can throw at it.  I have a pretty loaded Steam account and I've been trying game after game - and I have yet to break this thing.  The gaming experience is fantastic, I really love using the Switchblade to record macros and quick browse while I'm in game mode.

So overall is it worth the ~$2800? - *@#! yes it is.

Anyone who compares this to your average “thick-brick-super-hot-loud-laptop-with-faster-hardware” doesn’t have a clue what they’re missing.

I can honestly say if Razer keeps this formula up they have a chance to ignite the PC industry in a way that hasn't been done in years. …and Min if you’re reading this, don’t sell your company to anyone – ever.

If you’re interested in an in-depth review of the hardware, check out Anandtech, they went through this thing with a fine tooth comb.

I'm not gonna lie... this makes me smile!

I love to see this! ENVY is getting some global love in Korea. In my opinion ENVY is the product that has the best chance of re-igniting anything cool at HP. I hope it continues - they just need to realize that brand is more than just the logo you put on the "box". 

I'm not gonna lie, this video makes me smile... :)   

First Impressions are Everything...

Imagine you were dating someone and you walked into his or her apartment for the first time and there was underwear lying around, cat hair, cans, newspapers, books, food, and random papers all over the place.

• Does your perception change of this person? 
• Would you see yourself with this person long term, or would it be a short relationship? 
• Would you continue to tell stories about this person and the condition of their apartment for some time to come?  

Your personal brand is something you carry with you everywhere you go.  How you dress, who you hang out with, how you treat people, how organized you are, how well groomed you are, etc.  Your personal brand is not about wealth or status, it's just about you and the impression you leave behind.

Now as a company your brand is more than just the logo you place on your product.  Your brand, if done right, is the soul of your company, it's the core of your culture, it's the thing your family thinks about when you tell them where you work.  It's the emotions created when people walk into your store or visit your website.

Your brand is at the center of everything you do -- and therefore if you truly care about it, you should manage every detail with precision and thought.

In 2006 I was visually and vocally frustrated with the HP website.  We were in the middle of integrating our products onto the site, and it was just a super difficult process.  We were generally shocked at the number of skues and text on the site - it was super confusing.  

Well today I asked my wife to buy a couple of displays from HP's website.  She came back about 30 minutes later and said "Shopping on HP's website is like going to a garage sale.  Disorganized and messy...  its like an episode of Hoarders."  

Ouch!  It's been six years and it feels like nothing has changed. I hope they people at HP who read this can turn this type of reaction into some constructive insights.  Here are a few for you;

What is EPEAT?

• Focus your skues on what real people want. You don't need 5000 skues.
• Lose the randomness, for example, what is EPEAT?  
• What is COOLSENSE and who cares?
• I notice there are products repeating all over the place.
• When you dive into a product there are like 30 pages of accessories that I don't want, would be cool if you shortened that to a focus list of great accessories that add value to your brand.
• Your photography should be consistent, beautiful, and thoughtful.  
• Product names mixed with categories is confusing. 
• The model numbers are... wow..  I don't have the words.

Granted, HP is not the only one with this problem, there are many companies who don't put enough focus (*or the right focus) on their web presence and/or product presentation.  Can you think of other similar online buying experiences?

Companies like Amazon, Apple, and Dell have done a good job of simplying their online buying experience and it likely reflects in their online sales.  I would really like to see more PC companies follow the leads of the best in the business - there's nothing wrong with learning from the best.

I still have faith HP will come back and be great again. I'm almost positive Meg Whitman has visted the website, and she's probably as frustrated as my wife is.

The Future Looks Good...

With Windows 8 around the corner there is a glimmer of hope to those of you who want more than what an iPad can offer.  The Samsung Series 7 with Windows 8 demonstrates that it is possible, and new hardware is going to really help raise the stakes. 

I firmly believe we need more than just a great combination of software and hardware to win the hearts and minds of consumers everywhere.  We need companies to find their soul, re-ignite their culture, and manage their brand with real care and attention. We need more founders and people who genuinly care about the place they work to drive this thinking throughout their organization, even if it means losing popularity contests.

Valve SteamBox: Just kidding

I admire Valve and I love Steam.

What I really like about them is they continue to support PC Gamers, and while so many are running away - Valve is quietly capitalizing.  Many retailers are pulling PC games from their shelves, and the numbers on the surface don't look good...but no one really knows how much Valve is making.  I would speculate it's somewhere between a shitload and a ton, but make no mistake - Valve is making money hand over fist.

So what's all this hubub about a SteamBox?

Come on, you really think Valve is going to make PCs?  I doubt it.  I bet they're looking for partners, like Alienware, to design inexpensive PCs to sit in the living room -- they're likely working on a cool accessory and easy-to-use software ecosystem to make PC gaming incredibly fun, immersive, and easy.  It would be just like Valve to do something like this, and I bet it will resonate really well with their customers and a broader customer base.

As someone who loves both PC and console games, I look forward to seeing what Valve is up to.  I hope they work with Razer, Alienware, and other companies in the space.  

Now I just wish they would unlock my stupid account, which has been locked since we moved to the U.S. Come on Valve, it's me really - I promise!

The Razer Blade Cometh

I have a Razer Blade on the way to my place - I should receive it in the next few days.  I've read positive reviews from people who've actually used it, and mixed reviews from people who haven't seen it.  First, I want to say I don't believe that Razer intended this to be a mainstream notebook, so all these comparisons to the latest and greatest thick brick from Clevo are seriously pointless.

I can't wait to see it, when I get it I'll be sure to post a complete review.

Toys of the Future

I was so excited to see the stuff coming out of the 2012 Toy Fair, including the above laser tag guns from Hasbro.  These guns dock to your iPod Touch, and they completely change the paradigm of standard Nerf guns bridging the virtual world with physical. Below is a screenshot of what you might see when you first enable the app.

If these don't get your kids off the couch I don't know what will!  What do you all think?

Get Inspired

The barriers for entry to be a developer have never been lower, and the accelerants to help them grow have never been higher.

In the next few years there will be more 5-10 person companies than there have ever been.  With manufacturing transitioning overseas and technology growing globally, this seems pretty obvious.

If you are a software engineer and you're good at what you do, then your talents will be in high demand for the foreseeable future.  If you're a hardware engineer and you're good at what you do then you're a rare breed, find a way to get inspired and expose your talents.

So if you're wondering what to do when you get out of high school, think about getting into visual design, interaction design, or software engineering.  You can always come work for us at Microsoft, we're constantly looking for talented people.

...though remember, it's much easier being an entrepreneur when you're young and can handle the risk than when you're married with children.  Tell your parents I said so.

I wonder what my kids will do when they turn 18. 

Your Brand is a Living Breathing Entity

This video is interesting.. although your brand is more than just a brandmark.

Your brand is your soul, it's your culture, it's the intangible emotion that resonates within your customer when they think about your company.  It's the emotion that your employees feel when they come to work.  It's what your kids think about when they tell their friends where you work.

If you're doing it right, your brand will strike emotions, in different ways, with everyone who comes across it.

I can't say enough about it. There are plenty of examples of brands that resonate, brands with culture and soul.  Brands that stand for something.  Brands like Apple, Cadillac, Callaway, Ferrari, Starbucks, Twitter, and Xbox  all have an identity that people can identify with.

Unfortunately there are plenty more examples of those giant soul-less brands whose founder values have long left, and the soul, culture, and energy have basically evaporated.

I don't know what it is, but you just can't go to school and get a masters degree in marketing and expect to "get it" overnight.

Maybe it's a founder thing, it's something I think about often when I see another "me-too" product come off a line somewhere.  It bugs me to see designers emulate without soul or substance, and it's obvious when they do.

....you know who you are you lazy bastards :)

One of the most amazing Autism stories you'll watch...

I saw this when it first came out, it's truly amazing...!

Ford Raptor Outcome

Ford Raptor in Satin Black...

Ford came through which is probably a good thing since they not only saved us from buying from a competitor, but the final result seems to be generating some excitement in various truck enthusiast communities. Yes, is such a thing, there are people who are super passionate about this stuff, people just love their trucks!

I normally wouldn't blog about this, but I wanted to follow up on the previous blog about our experience with Ford. Not only did they save a customer, but they retained a fan in me --- and they are generating a bunch of free viral marketing from various forums in the process.

We spent a week or so planning on the final design of the truck, and here is the finished product. The following people deserve props for helping us get to the final outcome;

• Jim Walen of Ford of Kirkland
• Craig Daitch & Scott Monty of Ford Corporation
• Micah Adams from Addictive Desert Designs
• Bill Mann from Manns Hitch & Trailer
• Blake Siebe from Northwest Auto Salon (check their blog here on the wrap)
  

I'm also working on plans for an Xbox entertainment system, but I'm not there yet, I need to find some good displays that don't get in the way.

...and here it is!

...and a little video I created...