IFA 2007: Samsung goes for ease of use

Office workers should enjoy the same ease of use and the same standards of industrial design as we have come to expect from consumer devices, according to Korean electronics giant Samsung.

According to Dr J W Park, president of digital media at Samsung, office products have been dull and unnecessarily hard to use for too long. "We will be using the same 'piano black' finish we use on our home range," he said. "Who says office products cannot look great? Our customers want a better user experience. Our vision for the future is the same user experience in the home, on mobile devices and in the office."

Samsung will use the IFA consumer electronics show, which opens tomorrow in Berlin, to unveil a new range of high-end LCD TV sets as well as a dual format video player compatible with both Blu-Ray and HDDVD high-definition discs.

Samsung will also show a range of office equipment that takes its design cues from Samsung's popular TV range.

The 220TN office display is an LCD monitor but with a twist: it includes an integrated, two-megapixel video camera, stereo speakers and microphones for video conferencing. However, unlike existing monitors with integrated cameras, the Samsung display enables conferencing over VoIP out of the box, without the need to connect it to a PC.

The new screen is being launched alongside a new Samsung multi-function copier, scanner and printer. The device, which Samsung claims is the smallest in its class, is also finished in piano black.

Samsung believes that the device will appeal to home workers and image-conscious small businesses that are put off by the ugly appearance and complex controls of existing MFPs. Many of the controls on the SCX-4500 and ML-1630 are operated by touch controls based on the interfaces in Samsung's higher-end MP3 players.

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