Ego Trip: Luxury Notebook Computers by Bentley Motors
The haves will always have, no matter what the economy does. For them, there’s the new Ego for Bentley, a $20,000 limited-edition notebook computer that takes the performance and style of Bentley Motors cars and puts them in a computer.
Ego for Bentley is a partnership between the British luxury automaker and Ego Lifestyle (http://www.ego-lifestyle.com/collections/bentley/). Only 250 computers will be sold worldwide.
My vehicles and my computers are all of the same vintage (early 2000s) and combined are worth less than the Ego for Bentley. But if a winning Powerball ticket found me, I’d consider getting one of these computers. They’re stunning.
The hand-built notebook computer, when closed, looks more like a luxury handbag than a piece of technology: a choice of richly colored leather exterior, detailed diamond-pattern hand stitching, chrome handle and hardware. No need for those geeky laptop bags; carry this thing as it is and flaunt it.
Ego for Bentley’s luxurious details reflect those in the cars. The Bentley etching, known as knurling, can be found in the handle of the computer and the sliding doors that cover the access ports.
Each Ego computer is designed in collaboration with Bentley’s own style team. Color options for the computer’s interior match the most popular exterior colors for the cars. The stitching is done by hand. Each computer comes with white gold markers engraved with its limited edition number.
Like the Bentley car, this computer is not only gorgeous, but high-performance. It includes the Microsoft Vista Ultimate software, a 64-bit processor, 160-gb hard drive, 12 dedicated direct access keys for wi-fi, Bluetooth, webcam, media center and other application access.
Sales at a limited number of high-end shops around the world are to start this autumn. Ego for Lifestyles hasn’t yet announced the list of the stores.