Can Dell be as cool as Apple?

The news that Apple now commands a massive 66% of the market share of PCs costing more than $1,000 and 14% of the overall market mush have sent shivers through some of the big OEMs. Part of Apple’s runaway success has to be down to the fact that the company and its products are seen as being cool and stylish. Could an OEM like Dell ever be as cool and as stylish as Apple?

Over the weekend my daughter showed me the new Dell Inspiron notebook. Overall it’s a nice machine that does everything she wants it to do (email, Facebook, IM, bit of gaming, photo storage …), but there’s no way that I’d say that the system had a tenth of the cool or style of an Apple system. Sure, she had bought one with a purple shell, and Dell had thoughtfully set the desktop background to match, but beyond that it was just a notebook. The build quality was average and the feel of the notebook was average. But then that’s the problem - most OEMs feel that average is enough. Compared to a MacBook or a MacBook Pro, the Dell looks and feels awfully generic.More>>

Dell developing Google Android handset

Dell will unveil a smartphone based on Google's Android platform and it'll do so at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) show in Barcelona next month.

At least, that's what unnamed "senior industry sources" cited by UK trade paper Marketing Week claim.

It also admitted Google insiders say that there's no near-future announcement on the calendar.

Google announced the open source, Linux-based Android back in November 2007, and while the platform's pitched as a Google initiative, it has plenty of support, mobile phone majors like Samsung and Motorola among them. Android's tied firmly into Google's online apps, and is essentially a way to get the advertising company's 'word from our sponsor' wares out in front of eyes on the move. Read More>>

Direct from Dell

At nineteen, Michael Dell started his company as a freshman at the University of Texas with $1,000 and has since built an industry powerhouse. As Dell journeys through his childhood adventures, ups and downs, and mistakes made along the way, he reflects on invaluable lessons learned.

Michael Dell's revolutionary insight has allowed him to persevere against all odds, and Direct from Dell contains valuable information for any business leader. His strategies will show you effective ways to grow your business and will help you save time on costly mistakes by following his direct model for success.

Direct from Dell is organized into two parts. The first recounts the history and the enormous growth of Dell Computer. The second part focuses on Dell's management approach, from developing customer focus to creating alliances with suppliers. The book manages to avoid most of the promotional and self-congratulatory air that seem to plague so many first-person CEO tomes. Anyone who has followed the PC industry or would like insight into Dell Computer's success should enjoy reading this book. Well written and easy to read. Recommended. --Harry C. Edwards

Buy this book from amazon store

Dell to Introduce More Linux OS Desktops and Notebooks

PC maker Dell has announced its collaboration with Canonical Inc. Both companies together will soon offer more desktops and notebooks incorporating the Linux operating system instead of Windows.

Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Canonical Inc said, “What’s been announced to date is not the full extent of what we will see over the next couple of weeks and months. There are additional offerings in the pipeline.”

Gerry Carr, Marketing Manager at Canonical said, “This is the next great battle and this is where Linux has never really been before - Linux as a consumer product.”

However Dell has refused to make any comment on the collaboration but has said that the company is happy with the response towards its Linux PCs launched earlier.

Seems very soon Linux operating system is going to give a tough fight to Windows of Microsoft.

Dell to Sell Linux PCs

After collecting some 1,800 new product and service ideas from IT users and customers using an online "suggestion box," Dell Inc. has announced that it's taking the user suggestions seriously and will soon debut and sell a new line of certified, user-ready Linux-loaded desktop and laptop computers.
The Dell IdeaStorm Web site, where customers and other IT enthusiasts can offer recommendations about future Dell products and configurations that they'd want to buy, was started on Feb. 16 by CEO Michael Dell, who is looking for ways to re-energize the company's sales and financial performance after several disappointing quarters.
One post that got a lot of interest was the idea that Dell bring back a reasonably priced laptop computer that runs Linux.More>>

HP regains spot as No. 1. Dell dropped to No.2

Hewlett-Packard leapfrogged over Dell to recapture the lead as the No. 1 PC maker worldwide for the first time in almost three years, according to Gartner.

The analyst firm said Wednesday that HP edged out Dell by a mere 110,000 units shipped in the third quarter. Rival PC market trackers at IDC found HP had a larger volume of PCs by 28,000, which that firm called "a statistical tie." More>>