Dell Hopes To Rebound And Support Charity With Art Covered Laptops

Who wouldn't want a big ticket item like a laptop with an outer shell customized with the work of a recognized artist this holiday season? Closing in on gift-giving crunch time, in "gulp," shall we say tough economic times, Dell wants hopes you know that you can give the gift of colorful computing this year.

Designed to both inject life into Dell's slumping sales as consumers tackle their annual shopping lists, and to help battle AIDS in Africa, their (Product)RED program features laptops carrying original artwork created by Nigerian painter Joseph Amédokpo, South African graphic artist Siobhan Gunning, and Canadian designer Bruce Mau. For each unit sold Dell will make a $20 donation to the Global Fund which supports AIDS related programs in Africa. (Product)RED units join Dell's other Arthouse Special Edition Laptops to add a splash of color to their somewhat modestly priced Studio 15 and Studio 17 models.

According to a recent article in Business Week, eventually Dell will let customers customize their new Dell laptops in many more ways than this, and hopefully beyond this one product line, but for now the project will remain limited to the Studio line of laptops and cost users $75 in addition to the cost of the computer. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the splashy colors but if they were to offer something a little more lowbrow, say like Munch's "The Scream," velvet Elvis or a version of dogs playing poker, I'd be all over that. I'd even toss in an extra $20 for charity myself. If Dell manages to make it through the economic slump and is open to new marketing ideas, maybe I'll just treat myself to one. Good luck with that Dell.

--Tom Milnes