Oh MIMOS, When Will You Learn!
What’s better than calling your new ultra-portable Makcik PC (literally “Aunty PC”)? According to the dolts at MIMOS, it’s naming them after your prime minister and his new second wife.
That’s from the new article today, detailing that the i-Dola and Jean-i (I swear the italicised i’s are verbatim) are the new names for the laptop and PC version of the disastrously named Makcik PC. However, looking back to an earlier article in June, the names were simply Idola and Jen-ii. “Idola” even had a meaning (which I believe to be a backronym) of “Internet Device for Learning Applications”.
During the time when public’s opinion and trust on the reigning government is at all time low, when people are actually rallying for the PM to step down….NOT a good business idea.
How much more do you want to kiss the government’s ass? Even Proton, which was utterly the brainchild of Tun Dr Mahathir, never had a Proton CheDet (or something). I am very aware that MIMOS is government-owned, but in the long run, you don’t make money with grants. You make money from the consumers.
This doesn’t make sense in either the political, business or any aspects whatsoever!
Let me tell you where the basic marketing strategy of the Makcik PC fails.
looking sexy, aunty
I’ll start with detailing the specs of the PC, at least what has come out through the internet:
- Intel Atom Processor
- Solid-state Drive
- 16″ screen
- WiFi, WiMax and Bluetooth connection, with support for IPv6
- work with TV, so I’m assuming some sort of video port
- touchscreen
- weighs 800 gm
- apparently the slimmest PC in the world
- retailing at RM500-RM1000
To make it simple, even at a glance, those specs are good! Ultra-portables are all the rage now, and comparing these specs with its nearest competitor, the insanely successful EeePC, it’s a formidable competitor. Even the lightest EeePC is at 920 gm. It has a meagre 10″ screen, and costs at least RM1200. Considering iPhone is a success with its touchscreen, who wouldn’t want some swish tablet PC?
Compared to its engineering marvel, the marketing campaign was a debacle! To start of with, the ridiculously camp name. “Makcik”? It conjures a disturbing image of the nagging old crone with her sleeves of baju kurung rolled up selling nasi lemak, while her 3 kids are sitting in the van doing their homework.
NOT cool.
It is very noble of MIMOS to bridge the technological gap—between the old and the young, the rural and metro area—hence the target market of the PC, and the name. However, let’s face it, the major demographics of ultra-portables are cheapskate students, young professionals looking for second computers and modding enthusiasts. Why can’t we target these groups, get the money rolling in, and have a crusade to educate the less technologically-inclined all in parallel?
Please, start with a commercial name at least. Malay is such a beautiful language, can’t you find something else besides Makcik and faux-futurist names like i-Dola or Jean-i?
In fact, I shall be having my own crusade to rid Malaysia of any product names that has an i-suffix. That was so last decade, yo.
I’ll end with a link to Makcik PC’s website. See the horrendous banner? Now everyone can cyber.
FAIL.
When you think that this product was targeted towards housewives and the oldies…*shivers*
Fuck this shit. Hire me MIMOS, and I’ll sell these Makcik PC in shitloads.
I am sure naming the PC to Paklah’s new wife is a bad move. But you are not totally convincing either.
mangimangi
2 August 2008 at 12:00 pm
dude, u r such a geek! haha but Makcik PC – That’s a disastrous name! (hands down)..another thing the world could scoff at (and sadly, it’s Malaysian)
Uncle Shawn
2 August 2008 at 4:09 pm
Oh God help us please.
I couldn’t stop laughing at the name.
MAKCIK???? WTH? Why not Nenek or Mak? Why Makcik??
I could use a dozen question marks and i’m sure there still wouldn’t be a satisfactory answer to that.
Leave it to be one of the unsolved mysteries in the world.
Makcik? Fo shizzle? Damn.
Sabrina
2 August 2008 at 4:30 pm
mangimangi, are you from MIMOS? If you’re not, then I won’t worry about not convincing you. It was hard enough for me to convince myself.
Zurairi AR
2 August 2008 at 8:11 pm
At least Mimos has made the effort rather than behaving like young punks like you people who know how to critisize than making the efforts to make things happen.
Wake up young boys and girls !!!!!!!!!!!!!
orang johor
7 August 2008 at 2:00 pm
Young punks eh? I love the sound of that.
Zurairi AR
7 August 2008 at 8:57 pm
I used to work in a Research lab in Silicon Valley in Calirfornia for 10 years and I know it’s not easy to invent & innovate now technology and products.
What Mimos has innovated is very noble and innovative.
Can you point out any tablet PC or laptop that cost below RM 1000 in Malaysia. I challenge you to name one.
Remember, iDOLA is using Intel’s Atom 1.6Ghz processor. Asus eePC is using Celeron processor and the price is above RM 1000. Major brands in the market is selling atom based devices in either laptop or Mobile Internet Device (MID) form factor which is targeted to lifestyle device and normal market segments.
Mimos is innovative enough to target Bridging Digital Divide (BDD) market segment by inventing low cost and easy to use device.
orang johor
8 August 2008 at 1:27 pm
Orang Johor, I am deeply honoured that not only are/were you a professional, but you also came back to visit this blog a second time, to comment further. Not a lot of people do that.
I think I have let this go on far enough, so let me now explain myself.
If you have read my post thoroughly and impartially, you should notice that I applaud the technological wizardry of the MakcikPC programme. I am a Computer Engineering student and a techno-phile, so I get what you mean when you’re comparing the specs of MakcikPC and EeePC. In fact, that was exactly I what I did in my post.
The bottom line is, MakcikPC IS a viable product: exceptional specs at competitive price.
However, the ONLY thing that irks me is the absurdness of the marketing strategy of MIMOS. It does not make any marketing sense at all. It is obvious that without proper marketing, you can not sell a product.
Therefore, what I am proposing is to take a zoomed-out look on the market of ultraportables and netbooks. We should not just concentrate on the local market/needs, but the market of the niche as a whole.
My conclusion is, with the way it is being marketed now, MakcikPC will not get the market share that it so much deserves. With a revised and relevant strategy, MakcikPC might have a chance at selling like EeePC in not just Malaysia, but maybe overseas as well.
I am disappointed by the lack of constructive criticism towards Malaysian technology field, and the mindset that just because I am not doing something about it, I can’t talk about it. If nobody is allowed to nitpick on the industry, how will we know what’s wrong with it?
Like how the saying goes: the customer is always right.
Once again Orang Johor, thank you for visiting. Hope to see you again, and guess what, I’m from Johor too! =)
Zurairi AR
8 August 2008 at 3:24 pm
You are wrong.
60% of the world population can’t afford to buy PC at the current price. This is what Ultra Low Cost PC (ULPC) like Mimos’s product is trying to address.
What are you talking about Mimos strategy? The statement made in the press may not reflect the true picture of the strategy.
orang johor
8 August 2008 at 7:17 pm
:))
AlexM
11 August 2008 at 9:39 pm
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
Alex
12 August 2008 at 7:40 pm
Hey,
Why should we be hiring you? Please jot it down. Which university are you studying now? And what ranking is it? Are you a first class student from one of top 10 universities in the world? Do you have good knowledge and experience about software and hardware engineering?
If you are not, then I suggest you not to critisize anything about anybody, especially when those people are much better than you. You are much younger than me and hence less knowledge and experience. I am certain that none of the universities in Sydney are much better than where I graduated from. I won’t hire you even though your expected salary is RM 100.
Azrin
19 August 2008 at 4:18 pm
[...] that the public has more sense than to give it a name like Proton Makcik to appeal to the soccer-moms market. Tagged with: automotive, cars, Makcik, MPV, Proton [...]
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9 September 2008 at 1:14 am
azrin dude,
chill out brother…this guy only stating the obvious. It has nothing to do with technology (we salute mimos for that)….it just that stupid marketing that is so stupid that its stupid…just plain stupid. Give us some other name…like mmobile (for mimos mobile) or just choose name from local flower (orchid mobile, hibiscus palm)….it just that makcik or makchik is just plain stupid. And if you are from mimos..yeah i can see from your tone..just go ahead and continue with your office gossip, selling tupperware and politics.
antitroll
3 October 2008 at 1:45 pm
Azrin,
no need to bash out to a guy like. he’s just a student, remember? what do he knows?
i doubt MIMOS will hire him. I tried to get into MIMOS once, and the first question asked was “Do you have a MASTER degree?”. so i was like “no, but i got 3.5 CGPA in computer engineering, bachelor degree. and i have one year experience in R&D”. “sorry, no deal”.
i don’t know what MIMOS really looking for in an employee, but that is really a high standard.
so this guy who haven’t finished his study think he can make MIMOS better? ROFL
A.R.P
20 October 2008 at 12:28 pm
by the way, i just checked the “official” makcikpc website that the writer put in his article. guess what?
the website wasn’t even made by MIMOS! It was some guy who try to ride the makcikpc hype and collect ads money.
how did a ‘techno-phile computer engineering’ overlook this common thing before arrogantly comment about others?
I,myself, isn’t impressed by makcikPC at all, but WTH! I’m not even in its demographic target market. I’m not awed by a PC intended for a makcik!
I’m not even amused by MIMOS’ high-end but overpriced Tetra Notebooks! But, if I am a makcik, oops! pakcik, in a kampung far away, I seriously will consider makcikPC.
A.R.P
20 October 2008 at 11:17 pm
its totally crap..MIMOS is crap with their own “syiok sndiri research”..Makcik currently in trash bin..woooops…even all things is out source to other company to do it..
somebody
1 November 2008 at 2:53 am
[...] Biotechnology progress is retarded—what the fuck happened to BioValley? MIMOS has continued to make shitty products and kissing asses. I hope this man get the axe in 6 [...]
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