HP to Acquire Palm in $1.2 Billion Deal

[jaw04005]

Apple should have acquired Palm. Hate to see it bought by a competitor. The IP alone plus engineering staff to alleviate the load on core Mac OS X engineers who have been shifted to work on the iPhone OS meanwhile 10.7 sits.

The only thing Apple would have gained by purchasing Palm was patents. The “new” Palm that created the WebOS is practically a retreat for ex-Apple engineers and executives.

They left Apple for a reason, and I doubt they would come back if Apple acquired Palm.

Also, the guy responsible for WebOS has already left Palm and will not be working for HP.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20002746-265.html

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

Isn't that the way it is for everything in life. For every win, someone must fail.



Um, this discussion is about HP's acquisition of Palm. If you're trying to counter my point, you didn't.

Use a bit of brain power. You are trying to illustrate the failure of Palm by saying you don't see too many around. I don't see a lot of iPhones around. Besides, the standard argument on these boards whenever anyone mentions Macs low marketshare is: "It's not about marketshare".

I am not saying Palm did well. I am saying your arguments are poor.

 

[jaw04005]

Ugh. You tell people not to call you a fanboy and then come out with the usual "HP produce cheap crap" line.

Are you really defending HP? Cheap crap is what HP does best. The bulk of their product line is cheap crap — cheap netbooks, cheap notebooks, cheap desktops, cheap printers, cheap displays, etc loaded with clunky sponsored shovelware, custom GUIs and lackluster technical support.

That’s not to say they don’t produce some nice things (I really like their home servers, calculators and DesignJet printers), but that’s not their primary business.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/home.do

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

And that attacks YOU right?

I just don't like to see you in denial.

But HP is a cheap, crap line. Their consumer computers have some of the most budget components you can get. They're budgetness is only surpassed by dell.

No, sorry, cheap does not always equate to crap. Even the most budget components will serve some family somewhere happily and they will be happy that they could afford it. Only snobs and fanboys bring out the cheap crap argument. Foxconn made Apple's boards and for all I know they still do. They don't have a reputation for producing top of the range.

 

[MorphingDragon]

They don't have a reputation for producing top of the range.

Neither does Asus or Gigabyte or EVGA or MSI or XFX. So?

I hear 'poor' people talk about the crap they own all the time. They don't buy it because they want to, and the people that actually need help financially dont even own a computer.

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

Neither does Asus or Gigabyte or EVGA or MSI or XFX. So?

I hear 'poor' people talk about the crap they own all the time. They don't buy it because they want to, and the people that actually need help financially dont even own a computer.

So Apple's premium prices aren't for premium parts.

Maybe they don't want to be poor, but at least HP's products are something they can afford. Better to have that "crappy computer" than none at all right? My Aunt bought an HP because she knew no better and because she probably knew that brand from work. It wasn't a stunning machine at all, and I hated the fact that it had a non-standard power connector so I couldn't put a non-HP branded motherboard in the case. The thing is still working today though. It has given more than its fair share of service. I should mention that it's a Pentium 4.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Better to have that "crappy computer" than none at all right? Snip

That wasnt part of the original argument.

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

That wasnt part of the original argument.

Can't I clarify my point? Why do you think that it wasn't part of my original argument? Are you referring to your original argument?

 

[MorphingDragon]

Can't I clarify my point? Why do you think that it wasn't part of my original argument? Are you referring to your original argument?

We were arguing that HP makes cheap crap. Our rgument at any point did not mention people with a lack of funds until you came in.

 

[vladi]

Maybe the biggest news here is that Palm will be operating as a separate business unit within HP. Which means we will still be seeing Palm logo around for quite some time

Anyway I think Palm played it right and I think they called the shots here. This move looks a lot more like a financial boost instead of acquire and dismember which happens most of the time.

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

We were arguing that HP makes cheap crap. Our rgument at any point did not mention people with a lack of funds until you came in.

You use the word cheap. Cheap is relative. You also use the terms as if they go hand in hand together, and as if HP only has one product line.

 

[MorphingDragon]

You also use the terms as if they go hand in hand together,

In the technology world, yes. More than enough to justify that all others are the exception. Plus take a look at one of Cheap's meanings:

cheap | ch ēp|
adjective
(of an item for sale) low in price; worth more than its cost : they bought some cheap fruit | local buses were reliable and cheap.
• charging low prices : a cheap restaurant.
• (of prices or other charges) low : my rent was pretty cheap.
• inexpensive because of inferior quality : cheap, shoddy goods.
• informal miserly; stingy : she's too cheap to send me a postcard.
• of little worth because achieved in a discreditable way requiring little effort : her moment of cheap triumph.
• deserving of contempt : a cheap trick.

and as if HP only has one product line.

All of HP's products are cheap, even their servers. The servers are better quality than their Consumer items, but there are far better options you could buy.

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

In the technology world, yes.

No. Sorry only Apple followers believe this.

 

[MorphingDragon]

No. Sorry only Apple followers believe this.

I've worked in the tech repair/IT Admin (The lines got blurry after awhile, I administered a law firm while working in a a repair shop.) industry for 10 years. I can assure you, Cheap will most definitely equal to crap. (Ask any gamer or computer nerd that builds his own computer) I'll even give you a quick roundup of months work last year. (Before I became a student)

Repair Jobs due to hardware failure: 56 (OEM Computers only, no custom jobs, If you want to know, 3 died that I custom built)

21 Acer (15 Laptops) - Cheap Brand
2 Asus (All Laptops) - Premium Brand
7 Dell (5 Desktops, Im actually surprised at this looking back) - Cheap Brand
5 Apple (4 with screen issues ALA 27") - Premium Brand
12 HP (All Laptops) - Cheap Brand
6 Sony (All Laptops) - Premium Brand
3 Toshiba (All Laptops) - Middleish Brand

What Qualifies for a cheap brand? They have a laptops brand new for under $1kNZD. Not quite sure about Toshiba as they have a Laptop starting at $999.99.

Calling me an Apple follower is a bad mistake. I can assure you, Tuxedos are more my thing.

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

Calling me an Apple follower is a bad mistake. I can assure you, Tuxedos are more my thing.

Linux is free, does that make it crap? I have been repairing computers for 16 years. There has never been a correlation between the price of the computers I repair and how often I see them. Perhaps Acer is a popular brand and that is why you see more of them?

I am a computer nerd who builds his own gaming machines. If there is a choice between two Radeon 5850s you buy the cheapest. Low cost motherboards are not necessarily less reliable than the more expensive ones, they will just offer fewer expansion possibilities and are not as good for overclocking.

 

[btrav13]

Didn't read the whole thread, but thought I'd hop in here with some interesting information I heard yesterday on CNBC.

They had an analyst on who's firm had been shorting Palm stock for months now. He went through a breakdown of why, and you can replay his comments on their website, but suffice it to say he was shocked that HP would pay anywhere near 1.2 billion dollars for Palm. He went through an argument that basically priced their business at $0 and said he would have continued to recommend shorting Palm until it got there. He then joked that whatever banker had gotten Palm sold at 1.2 billion should get a raise.

I work for Sprint, and I can tell you that while Palm is innovative, Android is what everyone is interested in right now. Normally when rumors of the iPhone coming off ATT exclusivity we get some customer interest. For the last 6-8 months, it's been all Android all the time.

Palm was doomed as it was never again going to be able to compete with RIM, Apple and Google. They had hoped to carve out a niche where they could operate and failed. The ONLY plus for HP is that they can at least enter a market they were never in before...but again, I would thinking going up against the big 3 smart-phone makers isn't a wise idea.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Linux is free, does that make it crap?

Quite frankly yes. Linux is crap, the user interface designs are terrible and there's no sense of direction. The approach to licensing and its attitude towards proprietary technology makes it difficult for consumers and hardware vendors. I can honestly call the BSDs a different kind of crap as well with the lack of hardware support.

That's why I'm into Linux, because I honestly think it can do better. Putting the money where my mouth is and designing my own interface on paper which I hope one day to implement in real life.

I have been repairing computers for 16 years. There has never been a correlation between the price of the computers I repair and how often I see them. Perhaps Acer is a popular brand and that is why you see more of them?

You probably don't notice a correlation because you never bothered to study your records. (I wouldn't of had to either until something like this just happened to turn up) If I plotted avergaes for my records I would probably expect something which looks like failures = |1/price|

HP/Compaq/Toshiba are more popular in New Zealand. Most electronics stores have an Ample variety and supply of them, while Acer (Apart form Noel Leeming) gets about as much stock and table space as Apple.

I also happen to know that the local insurance companies have policies to only replace computers with certain brands. I definitely know that one uses a Compaq only policy.

 

[mccldwll]

Didn't read the whole thread, but thought I'd hop in here with some interesting information I heard yesterday on CNBC.

They had an analyst on who's firm had been shorting Palm stock for months now. He went through a breakdown of why, and you can replay his comments on their website, but suffice it to say he was shocked that HP would pay anywhere near 1.2 billion dollars for Palm. He went through an argument that basically priced their business at $0 and said he would have continued to recommend shorting Palm until it got there. He then joked that whatever banker had gotten Palm sold at 1.2 billion should get a raise.

I work for Sprint, and I can tell you that while Palm is innovative, Android is what everyone is interested in right now. Normally when rumors of the iPhone coming off ATT exclusivity we get some customer interest. For the last 6-8 months, it's been all Android all the time.

Palm was doomed as it was never again going to be able to compete with RIM, Apple and Google. They had hoped to carve out a niche where they could operate and failed. The ONLY plus for HP is that they can at least enter a market they were never in before...but again, I would thinking going up against the big 3 smart-phone makers isn't a wise idea.

That poor SOB on cnbc spent the entire time whining about how HP must have screwed up because it didn't do as he had expected. He was short and about to take it in the shorts. Palm was a dangerous short for exactly this reason. It was very likely that this was going to happen.

 

[LagunaSol]

The only thing Apple would have gained by purchasing Palm was patents.

Those patents may very well have been worth the billion dollar investment, now that Microsoft has entered the patent-throwing fray as well.

 

[cmaier]

Those patents may very well have been worth the billion dollar investment, now that Microsoft has entered the patent-throwing fray as well.

Palm had already sold off many of the good ones. Hope they had good succession clauses in their licenses back.

 

[tandeh]

PALM now has clout to counter sue apple over patent infringements, HP has the money to make premium devices and apple experience on board, maybe the chief software guy might come back, as they are doubling money on WEBOS, he probably left due to uncertaintanty and the company going in a different direction.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Ready to run great ideas right into the ground, no doubt.

The connoisseur of unbiased opinions.

---

I think this is a great move for HP. Seeing as at my job we are an HP/Apple house it will be interesting to see how this plays out. So far my iPad has been a fun toy, but if HP can make WebOS into a Slate and integrate it into Exchange better... may have a corp. market game changer.

 

[LagunaSol]

The connoisseur of unbiased opinions.

LOL! Someone needs some personal introspection time...

I think this is a great move for HP. Seeing as at my job we are an HP/Apple house it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

So you're also an HP Infrastructure Engineer?

So far my iPad has been a fun toy, but if HP can make WebOS into a Slate and integrate it into Exchange better... may have a corp. market game changer.

The odds are not in your favor. This is HP we're talking about.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

LOL! Someone needs some personal
So you're also an HP Infrastructure Engineer?

Seeing as again I own nothing but Apple products but still refuse to call every single Apple competitor evil, and work in an exchange environment that I accept with open arms, it would be plausible to say that I am a bit more unbiased, open minded, and experienced in the technology.

Your second quote just shows that the only fire power you have to throw at people are stupid comments that have no relevance to the topic at hand. I said I work in an HP/Apple house. Meaning we purchase exclusively with HP and Apple. I never said I work on the HP's because I don't. I manage, design, and QA our Apple Infrastructure (which I designed). I am an Apple Infrastructure Engineer. I have no idea why you keep blasting me for what my job title is. Maybe its because in your mind I can't be Apple anything because I am not a blind sheep that follows Lord Jobs at will.

 

[LagunaSol]

Seeing as again I own nothing but Apple products but still refuse to call every single Apple competitor evil

You have little positive to say about Apple in the bulk of your comments, historically speaking. Your material is just as predictable as *LTD*'s. Which is fine - it's a free country. But you might want to refrain from throwing the "bias" card when your arguments are generally just as one-sided as anyone else's.

I have no idea why you keep blasting me for what my job title is.

You know exactly why, because I've told in you clear, simple terms. Many would read that sig and infer that you work for Apple, hence it's disingenuous. You disagree. Fine. But don't pretend you don't know why I perceive it as a problem.

The more honest approach would be "Corporation X Apple Infrastructure Engineer" or "Apple Infrastructure Engineer for Corporation X."

Maybe its because in your mind I can't be Apple anything because I am not a blind sheep that follows Lord Jobs at will.

My strawman detector just started beeping.

(Oh, and there's your bias again...)