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Best Buy Starts Listening to Consumers With HP and Toshiba 'Blue Label' Laptops
Posted by Sean Fallon at 6:15 AM on October 9, 2008
Today Best Buy launched "Blue Label"—a new line of electronic products developed directly from customer feedback. Shockingly, Best Buy discovered that consumers wanted laptops with "longer battery life, a thin and lightweight design, an illuminated keyboard, more optimal screen size and superior warranty support"—so they enlisted the help of HP and Toshiba to create an exclusive product that conformed to these specifications. HP delivered the Pavilion dv3510nr Notebook PC with a thickness of 3.6cm, backlit keyboard, 4 hours of battery life and a 13.3" LED-backlit WXGA display. Toshiba's Satellite E105-S1402 is also part of the lineup, which is interesting because there was no mention of Blue Label when it was first released. Both are priced at $US1199.
Best Buy plans on expanding Blue Label to other product lines in the future, and they appear to be committed to using feedback to help customise these products to fit customer needs. That having been said, you can visit their community forums to get involved and share ideas for future products. In the meantime, both the HP and Toshiba laptops are now available for order in Best Buy stores and online. [Blue Label and BusinessWire]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
Posted 8:06 AM 9/10/08
Why the hell would anyone put the audio lines in and out on the front of the laptop?
What these two laptops need is to have the power button on the bottom.
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
Lite
Posted 7:56 AM 9/10/08
@OMG! Ponies!: And in the Toshiba's case, my dunlap's disease will block the speakers.
Lite
sqp
Posted 7:55 AM 9/10/08
ok, and I have back-set harmon/kardon speakers, so I won't be needing that audiophile system I was going to get this year
sqp
ripfire
Posted 7:54 AM 9/10/08
So umm. So basically, Best Buy looks for what's popular, turn around, go to the manufacturer's website, put together laptops for them to sell.
Hmm.. Define "middle man"
ripfire
dingus
Posted 7:53 AM 9/10/08
@OMG! Ponies!: Putting ports, LEDs, and the like on the front panel is a sure fire way for me to dismiss a laptop with a quick "go to hell".
dingus
sqp
Posted 7:51 AM 9/10/08
I got my Satellite M305D-S4830 in August for $699 at Best Buy on the tax-free weekend. This new Satellite is a step up in a few areas but not $500 worth, and I hardly believe that Toshiba was influenced in any way by Best Buy and their customers.
I have 4GB of 800Mhz RAM and 64-bit Vista Premium also - "only" 250GB and and Wireless g and an ATI 3100, and oh no, no HDMI port
This is simply the next step in Toshiba/HP mid-range laptops
sqp
TurboFool
Posted 7:50 AM 9/10/08
So... what's the point of this again? A label that goes on the box to tell consumers that it... fits the desires of a specific demographic? I mean it's not like they're ACTUALLY custom-designing these, as noted by the Toshiba. I'm sure they're just looking over the companies' internal upcoming line-ups and cherry-picking the models that fit this demographic. So they're basically finding some way to say, "hey, our statistics suggest that you want this more than the others! Buy it." Seems as patronizing as their Jill and Barry crap, or the massive amount of pink electronics, or their new efforts to target women directly.
TurboFool
ezman
Posted 7:45 AM 9/10/08
@Lite: I was thinking that, too. I suppose for people who don't like OS X?
ezman
Lite
Posted 7:44 AM 9/10/08
@Lite: And what's up w/ the commenting system today. It keeps disappearing for 10 minutes or so, then comes back.
Lite
Cordfucious v 2.0.1
Posted 7:42 AM 9/10/08
I have no faith in Best Buy... Call me when they actually STOCK THE CRAP THEY CLAIM TO SELL.[MSI Wind..I want you baby.] I am immune to the gimmicky sales tactics.... Blue Label, Black Tie...
/rant due to Love Jones for the MSI Wind
Cordfucious v 2.0.1
Lite
Posted 7:40 AM 9/10/08
Interesting, but doesn't the Macbook already do this in a similar/smaller form factor?
Lite
OMG! Ponies!
Posted 7:36 AM 9/10/08
And then they stupidly put speakers and ports on the front to be blocked by the user's stomach.
OMG! Ponies!
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
Posted 8:30 AM 9/10/08
@Gajolo: The front-mounted DVD drive isn't so great a spot for Macbook Pros either. Macbook FTW
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
Gajolo
Posted 8:17 AM 9/10/08
So basically, blue label means thinkpad or macbook? And putting the speakers/ports in the front has got to be the stupidest design I've seen on a laptop yet.
Gajolo
trendspotter
Posted 8:13 AM 9/10/08
@Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E: Because that's what the "customers want," duh.
trendspotter
trendspotter
Posted 8:12 AM 9/10/08
@Cordfucious v 2.0.1: Yeah, I was trying to pick up an Acer Aspire One a month ago from Best Buy. I was checking the stock every day online, then when they finally said "in stock," I went over and got, sorry, we're out of stock...
Then I checked their website in the store, and it still said "in stock," grrs.
trendspotter
Lite
Posted 8:10 AM 9/10/08
@ezman: So, they use bootcamp instead??
Lite
pwnz0r
Posted 8:47 AM 9/10/08
No DVI out? Epic fail. WTF is this? The only decent PC laptops with DVI out on the market today are made by Apple.
pwnz0r
hakubak
Posted 8:35 AM 9/10/08
Okay, show of hands - When asked about features you'd want in a laptop, how many of you said "superior warranty support"? Anyone? Anyone?
I'm calling bullshit. Bestbuy is tired of begging you to get extended warrantees, so they're bundling it.
Plus 2) they're fugly.
And C) I wouldn't have an HP laptop crammed in my @$$ if I had room for a sawmill...
hakubak
OMG! Ponies!
Posted 9:05 AM 9/10/08
@pwnz0r: FWIW: My Sony VAIO FZ-series has HDMI out.
OMG! Ponies!
dallasmay2
Posted 10:10 AM 9/10/08
"longer battery life, a thin and lightweight design, an illuminated keyboard, more optimal screen size and superior warranty support"
I thought best buy started selling Mac's a while ago? (HA, sorry. Bad fanboy joke.)
dallasmay2
Jkoenig96
Posted 10:30 AM 9/10/08
@dallasmay2: I just can't believe they said "more optimal"
Jkoenig96
j12
Posted 10:52 AM 9/10/08
Meh...for that price i'd get a macbook. The macbook has the same battery life. Its just missing the dedicated graphics card and illuminated keyboard. But its thinner :/
j12
brandon326
Posted 11:47 AM 9/10/08
Actually, it's not too bad of deal. Sure, the audio ports are in the front, which yes I must agree, was a stupid idea. But if you look are what's in the Toshiba: Intel P8400 w/ Centrino 2 chipset, 4gb of ram, 320 gb hdd, illuminated keyboard, fingerprint reader, bluetooth, fm tuner, and only 1.2 inches thick...it's not such a bad deal. Try looking for laptop anywhere else for that price. Placement of audioports should not be a decision maker. When I first saw this laptop the other day, I actually liked the design for the most part. Oh and btw, I'm not a Toshiba fanboy; I actually own a Vaio myself.
brandon326
pwnz0r
Posted 12:38 PM 9/10/08
@OMG! Ponies!: Which is not compatible with most HDMI monitors.
pwnz0r
unkpku is think that new comments are like iPhone 3G pre 2.1, ye
Posted 12:34 PM 9/10/08
@Lite: Or my muffin top...
unkpku is think that new comments are like iPhone 3G pre 2.1, yeah it sucks
willyolio
Posted 2:55 PM 9/10/08
@OMG! Ponies!:
if your stomach extends far enough to block those front ports on a laptop while you use it, you're fat. get some exercise, fatass.
willyolio
almostdvs
Posted 2:51 PM 9/10/08
@pwnz0r: which you would need a dvi to vga adapter for 80%+ of projectors to use.
yes, more laptops need dvi out. (sarcasm)
almostdvs
almostdvs
Posted 2:48 PM 9/10/08
These look pretty good. And pretty equivalent
HP: smaller screen, a media remote, media buttons, 2.0 processor, and a graphics card.
Toshiba: bigger screen, media buttons, 2.26 processor and integrated graphics
the toshiba is a bit heavier but a cinch thinner
almostdvs
GeekChick
Posted 3:56 PM 9/10/08
I wish they'd listen to me. I want a pointing stick!
GeekChick
Purple Dave
Posted 5:50 PM 9/10/08
@GeekChick:
You mean like a fing-longer? Yeah, so do we all. Unfortunately, it has the distinction of being one of those devices that everyone dreams about but noone ever bothers to invent, in spite of the fact that it shoud be a pretty easy job.
Purple Dave
jtan
Posted 11:00 PM 9/10/08
1.41 inches is NOT thin!
jtan
JackTheTripper
Posted 5:14 AM 10/10/08
"longer battery life, a thin and lightweight design, an illuminated keyboard, more optimal screen size and superior warranty support"
Sounds like a MacBook Pro. **shrug**
JackTheTripper