Big Blue getting ready to slim down

Big Blue getting ready to slim down.

Both C|Net and Always On report that IBM may be selling its PC division to Chinese budget PC maker Lenovo. That seems like a bad deal for everyone.

IBM's corporate customers won't be impressed by a manufacturer who
specializes in $300 PCs without any sizeable corporate service
infrastructure or experience in the US.

It would be much better if Dell acquired IBM's PC division. Dell
already buys tons of IBM parts, and they're the perfect long-term
partner for Big Blue. IBM's customers would be delighted and everyone
would win (except HP of course).

What if during acquisition talks between Dell and IBM things were
turned around and they started discussing the possibility of Dell
becoming IBM's PC division?

Both kinds of acquisitions would be put under much anti-trust
scrutiny. It would be quite ironic if our own competitive regulation
would prevent such a merger. That would force IBM to sell to Lenovo,
giving the US PC industry's largest competitive threat a giant foot in
the door.

Personally, my biggest concern is what will happen to the Thinkpad
division. They've consistently been one of the most innovative groups
within IBM and even in the computer industry. I absolutely love
Thinkpads and I don't want the flow of innovative, good looking, great
feeling laptops to stop.  [Live @ Sax.net]

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