Haven’t we been through this BS a couple of times already?
Globetechnology: IBM puts PC unit on block, report says — There is something dubious about these stories.
NEW YORK — International Business Machines Corp. has reportedly put its personal computer business up for sale in a deal that could fetch as much as $2-billion (U.S.) and close an era for an industry pioneer which long ago shifted its focus to more lucrative segments of the computer business.
Everyone is writing about this saying there is a shift to manufacturing in Asia as if IBM hasn’t long since been manufacturing in Asia. Heck during the PS/2 era IBM was manufacturing in Asia. I personally saw PS/2 model 25’s coming off the line in Korea over 10 years ago. So what’s really going on here? IBM wants to sell its PC business. They’re number 3 in the world. What is it they are selling? If they’re not selling the IBM brand name there’s nothing to sell. All the desktop computers today are generic inside and made in China. So what is there to sell? Is there real estate to sell?
This story needs more anlaysis. Looks more like IBM is trying to sucker someone into dropping $2 billion for smoke. The laptops are another matter. But again, what is IBM selling regarding the notebooks? Is it the designs fot the last generation notebooks? Or what?
All this would make more sense if IBM rolled out some sort of new company such as Lexmark and spun it off with Asian partners.
I’ve been counseling some of my cohorts to look at IBM as a five or six year story. Microsoft and Intel losing their special places as a result of changes in the “personal computer” industry, then IBM using its experience to pick up some pieces. Or, possibly, the start of less integrated technologies than “PC”s.
I’m intrigued. If I were buying a laptop right now, I wouldn’t. I’d wait for something the size of the iPod with voice controls and synthesized voice outputs. I’ve said before that learning to dictate sub-vocally isn’t hard and would work as a means of data entry in some difficult situations. Not all, but many.
Of course, I might be wrong. We may keep typing for the next twenty years. Have you checked out the keyboards that use projected light to show the keys and infrared sensors to acquire keypresses?
Here comes the NEW future.
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Now, John C., you know that IBM wouldn’t cheat anybody, don’t you? They’re really selling the business.
Because they’ve found a better one.
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URL email: “-“
Hmm.
IBM sells Intel PC business? And then switches/announces new power pc platforms? With either Linux or BSD/Apple as the OS?
What is the real status of their own internal conversion to Linux desktops?
So IBM sells the Intel/M$ business. And then announces Power PC with Linux or BSD/Apple machine.
What is the status of IBM’s own conversion to Linux desktops? If any?
They are selling the Branding and the Customers. I agree, but I think could also be from the other side, ODMs want to go more direct. Legend or Acer or similar, might want to buy into the name, and floated a leaked trial ballon. Lenovo Group Ltd. has zero take with the USA market, indeed they have a horrible reputation as knock-off Chinese parts, and IBM might be a way to buy into the quality and name. But these rumors are old, they pop up every once in awhile, and IBM’s “no comment” fuels the conspriacy theorists on again, and dregs out the ‘Asia trend’ all over again, as if no one has paid attention to the past 10 years.
But if a deal like this goes thru, doesn’t someone own Nicolas G. Carr an apology? 🙂 Computers as commodity, common as phones, made (and owned) in China. But see, “IBM PC” will be bigger, under Legend, as US market is not the whole. But will have to keep the branding to survive, the “ThinkPad” part, for awhile at least.
But I see this as a loss leader, corporate shops moving towards vendor consolidation, one-stop-shop, one contract, slicing out various random deals. From my own personal experience, once Dell got into the desktop/laptop sectors, HP was on the outs. HP comforted themselves that they still had the servers, but over time, that too, changed. It be a domino effect. Once IBM gets the out, other things line up. I’d take the hit just to maintain it as an overall IBM shop. Granted, Big Iron IBM is in a far far better position than HP, but it be the overall concept.
And I can’t see Corporate America really all that happy over total Chinese management. One thing to have all parts made in Asia, another thing altogether per the marketing and economic dynamic of reporting to Beijing, instead of NY or Austin.
I think just a joint venture deal, similar to some of the (ill-fated) LG Electronics deals.
And as we all check the news, this morning — Lenovo got the deal. For a lot less. $1.25 billion.
Ill-fated LG Electronics deals? LG-Phillips is now 2nd largest producer of LCD panels in the world. Not too shabby.