It may not be too happy at websites and blogs using the ’smartbook’ phrase (oops!), but German manufacturer Smartbook AG seems determined to make lots of headlines…
The company has announced the ‘Zenid GC Crystal’, a 2,001 euro (circa $3,000) addition to its ’smartbook’ product range. As not-so-subtly hinted at by the name, the 10″ model’s lid is completely encrusted in Swarovski crystals – always an indicator of class and style in the electronics world. Logically speaking such a design does not make a great deal of sense since the crystals are likely to get damaged here and will also scratch up any container the smartbook is held inside.
That said, this is just the start of the strangeness, since the Zenid GC Crystal isn’t really a smartbook at all. It is the mass-produced China ‘S40′ netbook chassis with the core netbook component: an Intel Atom CPU. Smartbook AG has pumped up the RAM to 2GB RAM and the HDD to 320GB, but that changes little. Still, if you’d like to pay out the 2,0001 euro RRP then the company will throw in a bottle of champagne and case!
As for Smartbook AG’s continued pressure on all to drop the smartbook term from everything they write, I shall happily repeat the words of editor-in-chief:
“The three of us who edit this blog are hesitant to pledge undying support for freedom of speech, as the legal ins and outs of naming rights could change overnight. But for now, our logo and URL are the same as always, and we join with TechCrunch in relishing saying a two-syllable word again and again. Smartbook. Smartbook smartbook.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself…
Gordon
