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.
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