Loren
01-02-2008, 12:56 PM
Free advice isn’t worth much, I know. But I can’t help but want to share some thoughts for Dell. Why? This past month Dell announced that they’d soon be shipping a Tablet PC. That’s the good news. However, Dell’s product positioning and marketing for the Tablet seems to be a bit off the mark. Here’s some of what I think Dell can do to get on track.
First, there’s the starting price: $ (http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_xt?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab)2,499 (http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_xt?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab).*Ouch. That’s a good $500 over what most of us were expecting and where the competition is at. A*loaded system is $3k+. That’ll really put a dent in your pocket.*The price makes a bit more sense though if you look at what else Dell sells in this category. For instance, they resell the Samsung UMPC at a hefty $1700. Yeah, that’s right, $1700. No wonder the Latitude XT Tablet PC is a mere $700 more. http://www.lorenheiny.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif OK, sarcasm aside, there’s no doubt the price is too high. I don’t think Dell should lower it though–just yet. Here’s what I’d do.*Bolt in*a well-sized solid state drive (SSD), bundle a year’s worth of T-Mobile’s WiFi connectivity or toss in an EVDO card/service plan, and place Microsoft’s Live Writer in the desktop image. Make an online/blogger*special unit that people will love, blog about, chat up, and recommend. A system like this at $2499 would get people thinking…and dreaming…and talking–some of the best advertising you don’t have to pay for.
Another suggestion is on the marketing side. For the last couple years, Dell has purchased–at I imagine a hefty price–the keywords “Tablet PC” on Google’s search. Well, isn’t it about time to actually make the link from this keyword ad go directly to a Tablet PC page? Right now, the link goes to this generic Notebook page (http://www.dell.com/content/products/results.aspx/notebooks?~ck=anav&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&a=9323~0~49302&navla=9323~0~49302) where there’s not one mention or link to Tablet PCs. At least go to this generic Tablet PC search page (http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=dhs&c=us&l=en&cs=19&k=Tablet+PC&cat=all) on the Dell site or better yet go to http://www.dell.com/tablet*directly. Let people know about your Tablet products when searching for Tablet PCs.
Similarly, I’d be sure to include images and links to the Latitude XT Tablet PC wherever you market to schools and government. It didn’t take me long to run across this site (http://www.delluniversity.com/), for instance, that seems to be lacking such links. Yes, some pages have links to the Tablet, which is good, but is it just me or does it seem like I have to fish for this information. Shouldn’t the Tablet PC be the number one selection for higher ed and K-12?
Finally, here’s one more tip: Do whatever you can to get your multi-touch drivers–in whatever state they are in–alpha, beta, or somewhere in between–into the hands of people that want to try it out and share their thoughts. Get it into the hands of developers. Build a following. You have a chance at a huge lead here in an area where there’s lots of excitement. Capitalize on it. What’s that? You say the software/firmware isn’t read yet? Don’t worry. There are many people online that appreciate early efforts. They’ll give you a break and may just very well help to grow your market when the software is ready to ship. Don’t miss this opportunity.
OK. Four freebie ideas. Anyone else have any? Be sure to share either here or over on Gottabemobile’s Dell forum. Maybe, just maybe Dell is listening.
More... (http://www.lorenheiny.com/2008/01/02/advice-for-dell-how-to-sell-a-tablet-pc/)
First, there’s the starting price: $ (http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_xt?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab)2,499 (http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_xt?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab).*Ouch. That’s a good $500 over what most of us were expecting and where the competition is at. A*loaded system is $3k+. That’ll really put a dent in your pocket.*The price makes a bit more sense though if you look at what else Dell sells in this category. For instance, they resell the Samsung UMPC at a hefty $1700. Yeah, that’s right, $1700. No wonder the Latitude XT Tablet PC is a mere $700 more. http://www.lorenheiny.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif OK, sarcasm aside, there’s no doubt the price is too high. I don’t think Dell should lower it though–just yet. Here’s what I’d do.*Bolt in*a well-sized solid state drive (SSD), bundle a year’s worth of T-Mobile’s WiFi connectivity or toss in an EVDO card/service plan, and place Microsoft’s Live Writer in the desktop image. Make an online/blogger*special unit that people will love, blog about, chat up, and recommend. A system like this at $2499 would get people thinking…and dreaming…and talking–some of the best advertising you don’t have to pay for.
Another suggestion is on the marketing side. For the last couple years, Dell has purchased–at I imagine a hefty price–the keywords “Tablet PC” on Google’s search. Well, isn’t it about time to actually make the link from this keyword ad go directly to a Tablet PC page? Right now, the link goes to this generic Notebook page (http://www.dell.com/content/products/results.aspx/notebooks?~ck=anav&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&a=9323~0~49302&navla=9323~0~49302) where there’s not one mention or link to Tablet PCs. At least go to this generic Tablet PC search page (http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=dhs&c=us&l=en&cs=19&k=Tablet+PC&cat=all) on the Dell site or better yet go to http://www.dell.com/tablet*directly. Let people know about your Tablet products when searching for Tablet PCs.
Similarly, I’d be sure to include images and links to the Latitude XT Tablet PC wherever you market to schools and government. It didn’t take me long to run across this site (http://www.delluniversity.com/), for instance, that seems to be lacking such links. Yes, some pages have links to the Tablet, which is good, but is it just me or does it seem like I have to fish for this information. Shouldn’t the Tablet PC be the number one selection for higher ed and K-12?
Finally, here’s one more tip: Do whatever you can to get your multi-touch drivers–in whatever state they are in–alpha, beta, or somewhere in between–into the hands of people that want to try it out and share their thoughts. Get it into the hands of developers. Build a following. You have a chance at a huge lead here in an area where there’s lots of excitement. Capitalize on it. What’s that? You say the software/firmware isn’t read yet? Don’t worry. There are many people online that appreciate early efforts. They’ll give you a break and may just very well help to grow your market when the software is ready to ship. Don’t miss this opportunity.
OK. Four freebie ideas. Anyone else have any? Be sure to share either here or over on Gottabemobile’s Dell forum. Maybe, just maybe Dell is listening.
More... (http://www.lorenheiny.com/2008/01/02/advice-for-dell-how-to-sell-a-tablet-pc/)