Can Apple playbook work for Windows computers?

Upon his return to Apple Inc. in the 1990s, Steve Jobs started what would become one of the most legendary business turnarounds in history. The key to the comeback was refocusing the iconic technology company on its original DNA: combining beautifully designed, high-quality products with a simplified, friendly customer experience. While Mac users have benefited from Apple’s return to form, the roughly 9 in 10 computer users who rely on Windows machines generally have not.
But at least one company is challenging the notion that consumers who want an affordable Windows-based computer have to settle for clunky design and suboptimal performance. NZXT, based in Southern California, started out as a small-scale manufacturer of hardware components and accessories and has been making complete desktops for only about four years. In an industry where giants like HP Inc. and Lenovo churn out more than 70 million computers a year, NZXT is a tiny player. Yet the brand’s growing popularity among gamers, designers, engineers and others who tend to have strong views about technology suggests the computer market isn’t inevitably locked into two extremes, Apple or an interchangeable array of bland Windows machines.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Johnny Hou started NZXT in 2004 to sell a colorful, robot-themed computer case he designed when he was an engineering student at University of California, Irvine. In an interview earlier this month, the entrepreneur explained how the venture brought together his lifelong passions for gaming,
design and technology.
Desktop computers are popular with gamers because they can be run with the most powerful chips, producing the best image quality. But Hou also noticed the community cared about how their computers looked from the outside, which for PCs generally meant beige or black plastic housing. Bootstrapping the company with his own funds and money borrowed from his parents, NZXT built a thriving business selling sleek glass and metal computer cases. The firm later added components including cooling machinery and power supplies.
Yet NZXT’s big business evolution didn’t come until 2017, when Hou decided to test the market’s appetite for full desktop systems that broke the mold of clunky mass-market PCs.
Dominated by a handful of companies, the PC industry has long equipped machines for the general consumer with cheap power supplies, bland cases and subpar chip coolers that often overheat. Another annoyance is “bloatware,” unneeded software that comes preinstalled and can slow down processing speed. While Dell Technologies Inc. and HP have bought high-performance gaming PC makers in their past, the acquired operations — including Alienware and VoodooPC — stagnated under their parents.
NZXT has built a passionate fan base. Whether it can make money while turning out premium machines and keeping prices affordable remains to be seen. It’s possible that as with other niche manufacturers, its success will make it an attractive acquisition target. But for now, NZXT’s arrival in a marketplace that for years has left consumers with mainly unappealing choices shows that
mediocrity isn’t inevitable.

—Bloomberg