Ecommerce

HP did WHAT?!

Notes on Hewlett Packard’s decision to drop the PC business and cancel the TouchPad. (Pt. 4 in the cloud series) Stills are from HP commercials featuring Serena Williams youtu.be Shaun White youtu.be and from KickthePJ’s entry into a Hewlett Packard competition youtu.be You can search out other spots and entries on YT. There are dozens. “The Computer is Personal Again” is a photograph by Duncan licensed under (cc). www.flickr.com HP. Giant corporation. They’re the world’s largest manufacturer of PCs and they suddenly said they want out of the business. Spin off or sell? They didn’t know. Or they weren’t saying. It came as a surprise to customers… to retailers… and to employees. Way to handle an announcement, HP. Disclaimer: I’ve done some contracting with HP’s Personal Systems Group through Michael Witlin Associates. I worked with some current HP employees at other companies. I’m a little upset they were treated so rudely. Look. Strategically, this is probably a good idea for HP. Margins on PCs are razor thin. Other parts of the company are much more profitable. But HP built up a huge brand. Remember: “The Computer is Personal Again” The snowboard guy. The tennis lady. The dress designer. Dr. Dre. The YouTube contest. And behind marketing: An efficient supply chain. A responsive channel. Strong design. Variations for every market. And then they just dumped a tankerload of doubt and uncertainty on the whole business. Oil spill. Everyone’s rattled. And then the TouchPad …

Ecommerce

Apple – iChat Basics

Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company’s best-known hardware products include the Macintosh computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. Apple software includes the Mac OS X operating system; the iTunes media browser; the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software; the iWork suite of productivity software; Aperture, a professional photography package; Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software products; and Logic Studio, a suite of audio tools. As of January 2010, the company operates 284 retail stores in ten countries, and an online store where hardware and software products are sold. Established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977, the company was previously named Apple Computer, Inc. for its first 30 years, but removed the word “Computer” on January 9, 2007, to reflect the company’s ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. As of September 26, 2009, Apple had 34300 full time employees and 2500 temporary full time employees worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of .91 billion in its fiscal year ending September 26, 2009. For reasons as various as its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has established a unique …