Comments on: Apple could buy Dell with cash

By: Amazed, Round Rock, Texas

Amazed, Round Rock, Texas — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:38:45 +0000

Very few deals go for the market cap price. In fact, I can't think of one. So when you start off an article with statements like Apple could buy Dell at market cap price and have a billion left over, you lose credibility from the very beginning…EVEN IF…that isn't the point of your article.

@Ashley — Very astute observation. Good post. You're right, Dell is waiting for their customers to return and it just isn't going to happen. HP and Apple did take marketshare from Dell, but Dell also did it to themselves with poor support.

Despite what everyone here is saying, Dell is a technology manufacturing company and REALLY good at it. Dell has some very smart people, so I wouldn't count them out. But they are married to a model that doesn't work when the innovation curve is high.

By: Sachin, TN

Sachin, TN — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:47:20 +0000

It will interesting to see if, HP acquires Dell, wouldn't they?

By: David, San Ramon, CA

David, San Ramon, CA — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:20:32 +0000

Viswakarma is correct, there are only two computer companies that matter anymore, HP and Apple. With an engineering background I have always admired these two companies.

I have spent over $100 Million on hardware and software over the past 20 years from nearly all the vendors, and seen many companies come and go. 20 years later HP and Apple still are the leading innovators and still are on my top 5 vendor list. (Sorry to see IBM sell itself off in bits and pieces. Microsoft is still my most expensive vendor.) Dell is not worth even $23B. Every catalog mail order vendor is worthless (e.g. Packard Bell, Gateway, Dell).

I would like Steve Jobs to get serious about the enterprise and buy Sun Microsystems.

By: Joseph R, Houston, Texas

Joseph R, Houston, Texas — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:54:33 +0000

Not sure if you know this, but market cap isn't the price tag for a company. Dell couldn't be bought for anything near $23.5 billion. Read a book…

By: cynik, switzerland

cynik, switzerland — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:00:15 +0000

Whoa there, folks. Dell and Apple are in completely different businesses.

Apple are a software company that design beautiful hardware in which to deploy their primary creations.

Dell is, with respect, a distribution company for cheap hardware running even cheaper software.

SOFTWARE COMPANY vs DISTRIBUTION COMPANY.

Micheal Dell applied considerable energy and basic economic theory to the distribution of what is already in the market. He is a good, nay brilliant, economist, and an inspiration to everyone, as far as work ethic goes.

The divine being is playing a different sport. He is digital Jesus, come to save our asses from death by spreadsheet, and to deliver music to the people. Or something like that.

By: Matt, Besamaya, Iraq.

Matt, Besamaya, Iraq. — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:46:26 +0000

The actual key to why Dell is not producing as much money in comparison has to do with the niche that Apple has created. And that goes back to marketing. Dell uses Microsoft Windows which is so passe. Apple has the iPod which is botique. If you look at system reliability and other factors, Dell is a known for solid products. This may be why the Government has such lucrative contracts for their computers.

By: Dreamdeceiver, Silicone Valley, CA

Dreamdeceiver, Silicone Valley, CA — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:56:17 +0000

The key to why Dell is floundering and Apple is not? It's all in who the CEO directs his company to serve.

Michael Dell: $17.3 billion

Steve Jobs: $5.7 billion

Michael Dell serves Michael Dell.

Apple serves it's customers.

Nothing else needs to be said.

By: Apple IT, LV NV

Apple IT, LV NV — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:16:55 +0000

Apple should buy Dell keep what ever is useful then sell all the parts out and keep the cash In the end Apple moves up a notch in the amount of computers sold and the world is a better place with one less crappy computer maker running virus infested winblows.

By: Writing Frontier

Writing Frontier — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:13:32 +0000

That's big money. Now think even bigger. Think of what they could do with a trillion dollars. See

http://writingfrontier.com/2008/10/22/one-trillion-dollars/

By: Viswakarma, Federal Way, WA

Viswakarma, Federal Way, WA — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:23:40 +0000

Dell is a hardware company!!! There are better hardware manufacturers that Apple can choose from. Also, Dell is on the way out since HP has better quality in manufacturing Windows Computers. Ultimately, it will be Apple (Mac OS X) and HP (Windows) that will be left standing in the near future as viable computer manufactures.