I read about the Monoprice monitor. Seems like it offers a high quality screen with very little extra features for about $50 dollars more than comparable displays from the cheap korean manufacturers. The benefit is the display is being offered by an American company so if something goes wrong people have better recourse.
Sounds like a reasonable assumption to me. The nature of Monoprice's business could mean that they calibrate their monitors before shipping to customers. I look forward to AnandTech(?) putting it through its paces.
Can't wait to see Apple doing the same (for different reasons).
I really like what Dell is doing. Ubuntu high end laptops, more quality, etc. It's a shame they accepted Microsoft's bribe, so we won't see high-class chromebooks...
I really hope they go head on software and services, maybe even a new Office suite to compete on the windows market (that's still huge), more contribution to open source, mac apps (this one would be great).
You'll be waiting a looong time for Apple to do anything like this deal.
You can kiss any Dell Ubuntu gear goodbye, and there is NO prospect of them ever doing a Chromebook now. MS will be dictating the terms and you can bet those are top of their agenda. Any chance Dell had to escape the Microsoft death grip is now gone.
Oh yes, software and services, Dell have shown what masters of software they are over many years! And all they need is a new version of Office to turn things around. Pssst, wanna buy a bridge?
Off topic, but Microsoft didn't just decide to "invest" in Apple. Apple released Quicktime on Windows, which smoked Windows' video rendering. Apple wouldn't give Microsoft a license. So, Microsoft went out an hired the same company Apple subcontracted to create the video compression software. The problem is Microsoft didn't have the company develop the software in a clean room, and the company used Apple's code that it gave to Microsoft verbatim thereby violating Apple's copyrights (Apple owned the software the company created for it). This allowed Microsoft to undercut Quicktime by bringing a product to market a lot quicker. Apple sued Microsoft over it, and the Department of Justice was interested in the matter. Apple and Microsoft were working on a settlement, but the CEO before Jobs wanted a complicated settlement worked out. Microsoft was playing hard ball with Apple by withholding Office updates, which was hurting Apple because people thought the lack of Office would be the death of the Mac platform. When Jobs came back to Apple, he called Gates up and a settlement was worked out quick. Apple wanted a five year commitment from Microsoft to create Windows Office, which was nothing for Microsoft because it was making at least 50 million a year on Office for the Mac (even without any significant updates). Apple also got Microsoft to pay Apple an undisclosed 150 million dollars and give Apple an additional 150 million that Apple would provide Microsoft non voting stock in return. As you mention, Microsoft also got to be the default browser on the Mac, and they cross licensed some patents.
I bring this up because the main thing Microsoft got out of the deal was for Apple to drop its lawsuit, and the Justice Department to go away. Microsoft did a similar thing to Sony. Sony paid hundreds of millions for IBM to develop the Power PC processor it was going to use in its Play Station. Microsoft then got a very similar processor from IBM for its X-Box for much less because IBM just modified the work it did for Sony.
Isnt the IBM Power PC processor also the one Apple switched to from Motorola. I seem to remember Power Macs being part of the origional dev platform for xbox 360.
Overall that makes Microsoft sound like a very innocent party. Whenever you outsorce some one work you would look for a company that has done something similar in the past. And you also have to accept that if you outsource some work, that other company is going to retain the knowlege and sell it in the future.
Seriously, who cares! There are 5000 MS patents for the pc and every damn one is in a Dell. As a matter of fact Dell aint nothing but a marionette for Microsoft. And with 2 billion in MS money Ballmer can now dictate what color underwear Michael Dell can wear to work. Jesus take the wheel!
How much less could you care for them as a company? Personally I couldn’t care less, but based on your statement I deduce that you must care for them, at least a little bit.
[" url="/t/155811/dell-going-private-in-24-4b-deal-aided-by-2b-loan-from-microsoft/30#post_2271466"]How does this work?
Does this mean that anybody who was a shareholder as of yesterday, is no longer a shareholder today? And all of their shares have gotten bought out with a 25% premium?
That's just about right. Unless a higher offer is received in the next 180 days.
You can all make jokes about dell, but the truth is they are now free to take time on products, make sure they are right tested and well made, without the "investors" forcing them to always make a quick buck over the long term, thats something apple used to have with steve jobs, because no one questioned steve jobs, apple is now under presure to make cheap phones for china, big screen phones, being mocked for not being a volume dealer, even on the news of record results i personally hope dell is very succesful.
Spot on. (Although I doubt that Dell has something new and different in it; but that's a different issue).
And with 2 billion in MS money Ballmer can now dictate what color underwear Michael Dell can wear to work.
The whole deal was $24.4b so I'm not sure how much control Microsoft's $2b will get them. It's a loan too, so that sounds like they expect it to be repaid. $15b is from banks and Michael Dell put in $700m and there were others who put in money to make up the total.
The only influence I could see Microsoft wanting would be for Dell to tone down selling Linux machines to enterprise customers. They won't want to be seen doing Dell any favours because they have other partners like HP to keep happy too.
There's news that Dell's plan to go private may not be a done deal afterall.
According to Barrons:
"Michael Dell's deal to take his namesake company private initially was treated as a near certainty on Wall Street. But there's a reasonable chance that shareholder resistance will scuttle the transaction. The company's leading outside shareholder, Southeastern Asset Management, said Friday that it plans to oppose the deal, which it says "grossly undervalues the company."
The Southeastern position could galvanize Dell holders, many of whom are unhappy with the low price that Michael Dell plans to pay. Southeastern, which holds an 8.5% stake, said it plans to "avail itself of all options" to kill the deal."
The minimal premium they're offering makes it sound like they're holding together a coalition with duct tape and bailing twine. If they get soundly rejected then I'd hope they have a realistic second offer, the first one seems like it's a deliberate insult to shareholders.
Comments
Forgot to post a link.
I have no idea if they are just putting their name on some foreign brand or some other combination of questionable quality and reliability.
Sounds like a reasonable assumption to me. The nature of Monoprice's business could mean that they calibrate their monitors before shipping to customers. I look forward to AnandTech(?) putting it through its paces.
You'll be waiting a looong time for Apple to do anything like this deal.
You can kiss any Dell Ubuntu gear goodbye, and there is NO prospect of them ever doing a Chromebook now. MS will be dictating the terms and you can bet those are top of their agenda. Any chance Dell had to escape the Microsoft death grip is now gone.
Oh yes, software and services, Dell have shown what masters of software they are over many years! And all they need is a new version of Office to turn things around. Pssst, wanna buy a bridge?
Overall that makes Microsoft sound like a very innocent party. Whenever you outsorce some one work you would look for a company that has done something similar in the past. And you also have to accept that if you outsource some work, that other company is going to retain the knowlege and sell it in the future.
There are 5000 MS patents for the pc and every damn one is in a Dell. As a matter of fact Dell aint nothing but a marionette for Microsoft.
And with 2 billion in MS money Ballmer can now dictate what color underwear Michael Dell can wear to work.
Jesus take the wheel!
You ain't lying. Ballmer can now take out the whip and chains and really start slapping that a** at Dell.
Groan. Not that one, again.
Both are correct.
That's just about right. Unless a higher offer is received in the next 180 days.
Spot on. (Although I doubt that Dell has something new and different in it; but that's a different issue).
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
That's just about right. Unless a higher offer is received in the next 180 days.
Now's the time.
Apple buys Dell for more than Microsoft would be willing to pay, keeping Microsoft from making their own hardware.
Then Apple takes the patents, manufacturing plants, and competent people, shuts it down entirely, and gives the money back to the shareholders.
(public ownership is bad)
The whole deal was $24.4b so I'm not sure how much control Microsoft's $2b will get them. It's a loan too, so that sounds like they expect it to be repaid. $15b is from banks and Michael Dell put in $700m and there were others who put in money to make up the total.
The only influence I could see Microsoft wanting would be for Dell to tone down selling Linux machines to enterprise customers. They won't want to be seen doing Dell any favours because they have other partners like HP to keep happy too.
There's news that Dell's plan to go private may not be a done deal afterall.
According to Barrons:
"Michael Dell's deal to take his namesake company private initially was treated as a near certainty on Wall Street. But there's a reasonable chance that shareholder resistance will scuttle the transaction. The company's leading outside shareholder, Southeastern Asset Management, said Friday that it plans to oppose the deal, which it says "grossly undervalues the company."
The Southeastern position could galvanize Dell holders, many of whom are unhappy with the low price that Michael Dell plans to pay. Southeastern, which holds an 8.5% stake, said it plans to "avail itself of all options" to kill the deal."
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748704372504578287960502012492.html?mod=BOL_hpp_mag#articleTabs_article=1