Apple and Steve Jobs must be muttering to themselves, say what you may, “the original personal computer company, aka Apple” is still standing. Pity you can’t say the same about IBM which copied the concept or Compaq, which copied the copy and hundreds that came there after. Dell, the supply chain managers have kicked their asses out of business. Only a matter of time before HP quits, and Gateway vanishes. Dell versus the Chinese.
Why does everyone assume Gateway is a goner? Its really eMachines now, has a different business model (no stores, fewer cows, less Ted). Bet they are around for some time to come. Like Apple!
Okay maybe you have a poin but the way they are losing market share I am not that sure about them. PC business is a tough one and relly find it hard that any western companies could compete with the chinese onslaught.
LOL…
If it comes down to Dell vs the Chinese, Dell will lose big time! Apple on the other hand, does not sell “commodity” products, it develops and sells “quality lifestyle” products and will be fine in the future.
I think we’ll see Apple licence an “embedded” version of Mac OSX to a Chinese PC company within the next 24 months. For use in mainland China only of course.
I have to say, the corporate america will have a hard time buying computers from a chinese maker. however, i think the interesting thing to do is see a joint venture between a chinese pc maker, india’s infosys for support and deployment with a uniquely US/European brand name.
“I have to say, the corporate america will have a hard time buying computers from a chinese maker.”
Duhhh…..they already do!!!
How many computer factories are there in the United States? All corporate America needs to see is a label in English and a sales rep in Dallas. At that point they no longer care that the machine is made in Shanghai (which many are, these days).
Sure, you proably have some xenophobic small companies refuse to buy a non-US PC maker but most large companies – if it’s the cheaper deal, and after they’ve outsourced thousands of jobs to India – really? They’re going to not buy the cheapest product possible? Dell buys most of its components overseas but assembles them here & in Mexico (and with tech support in India also) to maintain flexibility so when you buy a Dell, you’re already buying China-Taiwan-Mexico-Japan-India & US – where do you draw that line?
Its not xenophobia. But bias towards using a certain brand. The limited success of Japanese brands in the PC market in the US is a case in point, and even a heavy weight like Sony cannot match Dell or Apple. it is just that CIO-community has a certain bias. It has to be a premium US brand which fits nicely with corporate IT infrastructure
Once IBM gets out of WinTel personal computer business they will be able to focus on buying….I mean devloping a computer business in which they own the entire solution from ISA/Microprocessor on up, in all the possible forms from embedded to Super Computer and meet the needs of mass consumers to big biz enterprise/institional.
With their rep in the enterprise market all they need to do is buy……damn! I mean develop a platform with a viable foothold in the mass market and they may be able to give rise to a serious market & industy revolution.
If IBM wanted to really do something like i’m suggesting then sell off the WinTel business and then backing another platform would be a major sign of commitment to the new venture.
(is a leveraged buy out in Apple’s future? Maybe Steve Jobs can arange a Apple/NeXT type merger in which the big company that buys is the one taken over by the smaller company that was bought.)