“Michael Dell bristles when his personal-computer company is compared with Apple Inc,” Ben Worthen reports for The Wall Street Journal. “As Apple gobbled market share with the iPhone and iPad, Dell Inc.’s chief executive instead faced crumbling PC market share and stagnant revenue growth at the company he founded in his University of Texas dorm room almost 30 years ago. When conversations shifted to Apple, Mr. Dell’s body would tighten up and he would become withdrawn, said former Dell executives.”
MacDailyNews Take: Compare Dell to Apple? Now, who would do that? (smirk)
Man, Karma is one achingly beautiful bitch!
“At other times, the CEO would celebrate minor victories, like a school district’s decision to buy Dell computers,” Worthen reports. “While Dell won some of those battles, Mr. Dell refused to acknowledge that his company was ‘getting killed in the war,’ said one former Dell executive.”
MacDailyNews Take: To Michael Dell, dooming children with markedly inferior technology is a “victory.”
Worthen reports, “Now Mr. Dell may make public comparisons to Apple moot with a drastic step: taking Dell private in a leveraged buyout valued at more than $23 billion.”
MacDailyNews Take: I’m gonna take all my marbles and go home! Waaaaah!
Worthen reports, “Overall, interviews with more than 10 current and former Dell executives, plus other people who know the CEO, paint a picture of a man who appears increasingly worried about his legacy and whether the board would try to push him aside. These people said it has been years since Mr. Dell showed the enthusiasm he did when he reclaimed the title of CEO in 2007 after a short period where he served only as chairman of the PC maker.”
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote on February 26, 2009: “Mikey, Dustbin of history. Dustbin of history, Mikey.”
“When Mr. Dell returned in January 2007, he promised to reposition the company for the new age,” Worthen reports. “Mr. Dell brought in several new executives, including ones to run operations, marketing and lead Dell’s consumer push. But while sales grew during Mr. Dell’s first year back, he couldn’t sustain the momentum. The operations and marketing chiefs left after less than two years. The consumer chief left in 2010, after failed attempts at music players, phones and high-end laptops.”
Worthen reports, “Mr. Dell stopped acting like a cheerleader for the company in meetings, the people who worked with him said. And the CEO began taking a step back from public scrutiny. In 2011, he stopped making prepared remarks on Dell’s earnings calls, leaving that to his finance chief and other lieutenants… By late 2010, Mr. Dell had largely abandoned his efforts to develop products for consumers and advocated a new path to become a one-stop shop for businesses.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Help, help… multiple schadenfreude overdoses! Oh, the agony… the beautiful, gorgeous agggooonnnyyy!
So, what’ve you got to say for yourself, Mr. Bristles? Hello, Miiikkkeeeyyy?
Wanna know your what your legacy will be, Mikey? It’s a simple acronym; might as well carve up the tombstone now: SIDAGTMBTTS.
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A fitting ending to this saga would be when Mikey’s beady little eyes achieve singularity.
Wait.
THIS^
Chrissy One, we’ve missed you around here.
*snort*
I just don’t get why Michael Dell, and other PC designers just don’t get the most obvious. Without exception, every single Dell computer I’ve seen looks like a design monstrosity. Over the years, this has been one of life’s mysteries, why the PC makers can’t see that. I went to the local store to check out Windows 8 computers just out of curiosity to see what Windows 8 was like. From my perspective, every single one of those PC notebooks looked like a frankenstein slapped together from slabs of plastic.
The answer lies close at hand. When I see human beings, and how most people are so closed-minded to new ideas, from that basis, it is not surprising that the PC industry is stuck in a rut which it can’t get out. To me, it is simple. But I guess, to them, sitting in their boardrooms, the obvious does not occur to them.
The design comes down to cost. Typical PCs are built to the lowest cost. Don’t expect that to change any time soon!
Another aspect of the problem is:
CONFORMITY vs CREATIVITY
We know who is who in this situation. In nature, its creativity that wins. Diversity rulz. Deal with it.
Until recent years, Dell just bought designs from their suppliers as far as I remember reading.
Only in the last few years did they start forming a product design team after Apple released the iPhone.
Dell Services (formerly Perot) is no better!
I’ve never owned a Dell/Dull Computer, but my Uncle owned one a few years back and said it was nothing but pure cheap junk. Makes me glad I’m an Apple Computer user instead of a Dell user.
He should be flattered by the comparison.
I hate to admit it, but we have several Dells in our office here. We use some legacy (DOS based – seriously) software for our work which does what it does very well, and Dells are decent Windoze machines, imo. There’s nothing out there that beats Apple at building quality computers, but Dell isn’t a bad alternative if running Windoze is your thing. Have a new HP/Compaq desktop here that stinks. Have a cheap Acer laptop at home that is total garbage. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from some IBM builds (but have never owned one), but really, Dell isn’t that bad. Nothing innovative, to be sure, but not bad quality compared to most of the others.
Ready to see them die on the vine, though? You bet! 😀
To think I used to recommend Dell back in the 90s.
Lesson learned for today: Never name your company after yourself. That way if it fails you won’t have to feel the heavy shame that comes with having your name plastered all over your products should many years later they turn to complete shit.
Dell is following Crapper in history.
Just like John Crapper enriched the English language with two new words, each used to name his invention (the water closet), Michael Dell provided two works used to describe cheaply made Windoze computers.
Thank you, Michael.
Windows 8 is going to be the catalyst to move a great deal of users to Mac/iOS. I’m looking for a large spike in iPad sales during the next 12 months as a result of Redmond’s best.
Michael Dell looks just like a retarded baboon, no offense meant to retards or baboons.
Goatboy calls like he sees it Mikey. You got your 500 mill, now hit the fucking road ! Bill Hicks
I know everybody enjoys the fun with the beleaguered Michael who marked the beginning, I think, of MDN’s declaration of beleaguered of everything not Apple. But, where are we now? Would “beleaguered” now describe Tim Cook? Blasphemy, I know but… think about it for a little while.
Baseless claptrap.
What Apple is beleaguered by is know nothing analysts and moronic tech journalists.
Think about it? If only people would do some thinking instead of parroting brainless journos who themselves are incapable of original thought. “Beleaguered” does not describe a CEO who has just reported the best results ever, with stunning sales increases on iPhone and iPad. As a failure of objective reporting bordering on hysteria, this is pure insanity.
What’s Dell again? The American Foxconn? Wow. Innovation.
If you go private, then the bankruptcy will be (more) private.
I remember Mr. Dell perjuring himself in a hearing with the United States Congress.
Payback is such a Bi%$h! LOL!
Sure Dell’s legacy is making cheap plastic PC knockoffs for idiots who don’t know any better and who actually thought a PC was a good deal. Using it whenever they could when not battling the forces of preloaded junkware, malware, spyware and viruses. And that’s all you ever were Mikey. That day is done. Even the Dell Dude is using a Mac these days.
Dell. Crap on a stick
Haven’t seen that Apple versus Dell comparison in quite a a while.
Dell makes crap and their service stinks.
SIDAGTMBTTS is an initialism, not an acronym, since you don’t pronounce it as a word (well I don’t say “sid-agg-tem-butts” but maybe you guys do).
With time comes justice. Sometimes she needs a boot up the ass to get moving, but she gets there in the end. I have a special boot for you Judge Koh.
Why is Apple so different seeing as it aligned itself with Microsoft to save it self from bankruptcy back in the heady days of 1997!
A myth I hear you bleat…sorry folks keep bleating! (smirk)
Apple didn’t get money to “save” it, it got the money becaue iapple was suing Microsoft at that time for copying apples UI and Microsoft settled out of court. Microsoft did not save apple, period.
MDN
I’ve fixed that picture of Michael for you:
[img]
{/img]
=:~)
..although I clearly have no idea how ti link it properly…
=:~)
Screwed, you’re gettin’ a Dell!
Sweet. Revenge served cold.
If only Steve were here to savor this moment with us! I can picture that sly smile now…