Coming down from my ivory tower makes me feel dirty
I’d like to apologize. I try to fill this site with beautiful things like this, this, this, this and this. But today, I must defile it with this post. I’m sorry. But it has to be done.
What you see above is HP’s website. It’s hideous. It’s confusing. It’s headache inducing. It makes me want to run in the other direction and take multiple showers.
I’m currently browsing their website to help my sister pick out a sub-$500 laptop (this is charity work people…don’t look at me that way). Since I’m shocked and disgusted and a blogger, I have no choice but to share my experience with you here. What follows is a series of screenshots I encountered trying to navigate this labyrinth of eye strain.
Warning: the site looks like it was done completely in HTML circa 1999 and the following images are not for the faint of heart. Comments are below each image.
Pass the crystal ball
Someone please explain to me what “-Smart Buy- HP ProBook 4520s Notebook PC (ENERGY STAR) XT943UT#ABA $425 Instant Savings until 1/31/11!” means and why it’s written in 36 pt. plain text. Thanks.
Non-starter Upsell
HP really expects me to read through all that crap to upsell myself based on product numbers and obscure product descriptions?
Also, they say “Enjoy the benefits of partner products” but don’t actually list any benefits.
Here’s some free advice. Instead of:
“AT912UT#ABA HP 2 GB 13333 MHz PC3-10600 DDR3 SODIMM – Smart Buy [Add $89.00]“
write,
“Speed up your computer with more memory for $89.00. Learn more.”
Warranty Overkill
Seven different warranties to sort through? Seven??
The way it should be done
“But…it’s so…simple!”
Yup.
After this mess I’m recommending she get an iPad. All she wants/needs to do is Facebook, email and writing papers. She can do all that with an external keyboard on an iPad for less than a crappy HP laptop. Plus she needs an new iPod. Done.










