Another one bites the dust?

fran441 · January 18, 2002 6:52AM

[quote]HP May Kill PC Business

Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina told USA Today in mid January that the company may have to get out of the PC business if the merger with Compaq Computer Corp. fails to go through.

She implied that HP needs Compaq in order to save its printing and imaging business, according to the Jan. 14 article. Even "spinning off" the PC unit would not be a viable option for the company. The only option is to fix [the PC business] via the merger, she told USA Today.

That position conflicts with earlier statements by Fiorina, in which she told the Reuters news agency that "The marketplace is obsessed with PCs. And [the merger with Compaq] actually isn't a PC deal. It's about enterprise computing and professional services."

Internal opponents emphasize layoffs associated with the merger. But Fiorina told USA Today that the closure of the PC business resulting from a failed merger would involve even more layoffs than would occur with a successful merger.<hr></blockquote>

If this happens, and HP really does exit the PC business, consumers will walk into Circuit City or CompUSA and will be faced with the question: Compaq, Sony (are they still sold via retail?), or Apple?

fran441 · January 18, 2002 8:23AM

Does no one care about the end of the HP PC?

willoughby · January 18, 2002 8:34AM

Sony's are still being sold in CompUSA. Are they still selling eMachines in there too? Either way it clears up more shelf space.

Gateway is next. I'll bet dollars to donuts they start selling machines in CompUSA to increase marketshare. Either that or they merge with DELL....shutter :eek:

fran441 · January 18, 2002 8:42AM

This is going to be interesting. In places like CompUSA, you'll have Compaq (terrible reputation for workstations) along side eMachines (POS machines), and Sony (expensive for what you get, somewhat limited for upgrading).

Then you'll have the Macs as well. Maybe a few more customers will consider/buy Macs instead.

I also see Gateway being out of the picture soon. Even though their machines might have competitive features/prices, no one really thinks of them any more. They want you to go to their store, pick out a machine, and then ship it to you. If people want to go out of their way and actually go someplace to buy a computer, they want to walk out with one. Gateway seemed to miss that point when you can go online and buy a similar Dell machine without leaving your house.

imacfp · January 18, 2002 9:46AM

I'd rather them get out of the PC biz than the printer biz. Stick with what you do well. If HP goes down and Gateway goes down too that would help Apple out a lot. Really Apple would only have worry abut Sony which seems to be who they care about beating the most.

xype · January 18, 2002 10:23AM

[quote]Originally posted by imacSE:

I'd rather them get out of the PC biz than the printer biz. Stick with what you do well.<hr></blockquote>

Exactly! HP does a lot of stuff well, the PCs not being part of it. If they can make more money focusing on printers and stuff, better for them!

suckfuldotcom · January 18, 2002 10:36AM

Dude, you're getting a Dell. Everyone is getting a Dell!

That's basically the PC side of the biz for the next 1000 years. Michael Dell will march on a road of bones.....

Ah, well. What can you do? All PC's are the same, so only the big and cheap survive.

SdC

amorph · January 18, 2002 10:42AM

I don't care two bits about HP leaving the PC market. Their PCs sucked in much the same way that Compaq's do. I do hope they hang on to their printing and imaging division, though. HP printers are excellent.

Carly's got a point, though: HP has always been more of a high-end company, and there's no money in PCs right now anyway. Compaq has some excellent enterprise products and services, even after they (stupidly) sold off the Alpha.

That's not to say that I think the merger would be a good thing, but I can see why she's eyeing Compaq.

It's all good news for Apple.

[ 01-18-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]

the toolboi · January 18, 2002 10:47AM

Does no one care about the end of the HP PC?

No, HPS suck

Seriously though, I dont see why any one would buy a brand name computer that isnt a mac. It just doesnt make sense (the new iMac price/parts is amazing, however it cant touch a home built PC).

willoughby · January 18, 2002 10:50AM

[quote]Originally posted by The Toolboi:

Does no one care about the end of the HP PC?

No, HPS suck

Seriously though, I dont see why any one would buy a brand name computer that isnt a mac. It just doesnt make sense (the new iMac price/parts is amazing, however it cant touch a home built PC).<hr></blockquote>

Sure it can. You can't build iTunes, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto and OS X at home!!!!

(Darwin doesn't count, you still don't get Aqua)

matsu · January 18, 2002 2:00PM

I dunno, here in toronto there are a lot of cheap parts suppliers so you can get a small shop to build you a PC ***VERY*** cheap. I don't know any of my PC using mates to actually have bought their PC from a Name brand retailer. Only one who buys Dell. Everyone I know just drops into the local PC shops, or checks the paper's for prices of the month, and then drops in to get it built. I guess a lot of families still buy their PC from a big retailer but a look through the local free computer paper suggests that quite a few of these small shops have been around for at least a few years and new ones open up all the time. The market projection for name brand box makers can't be all that great. People don't want to pay for higher-end machines. Low-end machines have horrible margins. And, as if big box competition weren't enough, a lot of tiny system builders are popping up to siphon off even more business.

Three or four big brands, plus Apple, plus the local system builders, are all that's going to be left when this price war finally ends.

crusader · January 18, 2002 2:10PM

Who was the stock person who said only Sony Apple and Dell would be left? And as to the home built PC thing, how many consumers go and build thier own PC? Not a lot I am willing to bet.

belle · January 18, 2002 2:18PM

To be honest, I'm amazed that Gateway are still around. I thought they'd fall apart some time in 2001. It's sad really...

I owned several Gateway PCs back in the days when they were a handful of people handbuilding the machines in a cowshed somewhere in Iowa... They used to advertise in Byte magazine.

Sony has said it's not going to produce "affordable" (My word, not Sony's) machines any more, but machines that are stylish, powerful, blah blah blah.

So does that just leave Dell slugging it out with the myriad small PC manufacturers out there?

I have to admit <a href="http://www.gateway.com/home/deals/offers/700xl.shtml"; target="_blank">this</a> is quite tempting, though.

willoughby · January 18, 2002 3:07PM

My former place of employment had dozens and dozens of Gateways. They were on desktops and in labs. Gateway was the only PC they purchased (not including servers of course).

They were horrible! The support was terrible and they would break frequently.

A friend still working there says they're switching to Dell. More money in Mike's pocket

thegelding · January 18, 2002 3:42PM

yes, here at the hopsital we switched from mostly buying gateways (that were very bad with awful customer service) to mostly buying dells (that are bad with bad customer service....so a step up from shit to crap...) g

ghost_user_name · January 18, 2002 4:13PM

I thought that Dell had exceptional service plans?

fran441 · January 18, 2002 4:22PM

[quote]I thought that Dell had exceptional service plans?<hr></blockquote>

Sure, but try getting them on the phone. Even with a preferred business plan, you can spend hours on the phone waiting to get parts, service, etc.

Plus, it takes weeks for their machines to arrive. I don't know why any one would want to deal with them, actually.

seb · January 18, 2002 4:43PM

I wonder how many people realize that Dell outsources its phone Tech Support to other countries (usually Middle Eastern) in order to save some dough.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Just wondering.

ghost_user_name · January 18, 2002 4:47PM

[quote]Originally posted by Fran441:



Sure, but try getting them on the phone. Even with a preferred business plan, you can spend hours on the phone waiting to get parts, service, etc.

Plus, it takes weeks for their machines to arrive. I don't know why any one would want to deal with them, actually.<hr></blockquote>

What about on site service from Dell? I thought their service was the best or on par with others.

eman · January 18, 2002 10:05PM

Good. One less PC company.

berbercarpet · January 18, 2002 10:37PM

[quote]Originally posted by suckfuldotcom:

My signature irritates people.<hr></blockquote>

Actually I like this one.

:::

Another one bites the dust?

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