Britons want PCs to shape up

UK consumers would spend more time on their PCs if they were better designed, according to a new survey.

Some 77 per cent of Britons polled by The Packard Bell European Institute of Home Computing in a survey of 1600 European consumers said their machines are far too bulky, with 65 per cent saying that they are far too "plastic-looking".

Sixty-eight per cent said they banished their PCs to the bedroom or study because they are so ugly, and the majority agreed that if PCs were better designed they would have no problem having the machines in their living rooms.

About 46 per cent said they would be prepared to change their current PC sooner if it was more attractive. Twenty-two per cent went as far as saying they would buy an additional machine for the home if they liked the way it was styled.

International designer Pier-Luigi Molinari said: "PC makers have not shown an alternative to the PC as an office tool. There is no point in designing red, yellow and green ones if they are not intuitive to use."

"The PC needs to be able to take on the same social position as the TV."

UK consumers want PCs to be more portable, interactive and accessible, according to the survey. They also want machines that are cable-free, touch-sensitive and voice-activated.