HP is one of the best-known PC manufacturers, but it’s been reported on USENET and other news channels that the founders of the company never really wanted to enter the personal computer industry. As many newsgroups and their subscribers note that David Packard was reluctant to focus on PC manufacturing in the early nineties, and Walter Hewlett, son of co-found Bill Hewlett, tried to stop the acquisition of Compaq back in 2002.
So why now has HP finally decided to abandon the PC aspect of its business? MIT Professor Michael Cusumano notes that the founders were never interested in manufacturing commodity computer products, but instead were interested in creating innovative tools and products. The PC business is no longer the site of innovation in the technology business, and HP appears content to abandon it altogether.
With HP set to sell its PC business, another company could come in and become a bigger player in the industry. Any company who can acquire these assets could emerge as a competitor to others already entrenched in the industry.
Now what does that mean for the rest of the PC industry? Well, it could actually mean good things for the consumer. With HP out of the market, it may lead smaller companies to up their game as they try to move in to fill the void. Dell could benefit, as well as Acer and Lenovo. The companies could move in on former HP customers, and competition to do so could be intense.
The competition among PC manufacturers to create bigger and better machines could mean good things for Usenet users eager for a computer capable of handling their demands. Competition for a share of the market often leads to greater innovation, which should have a positive impact on the consumer in this scenario. Usenet users hoping for a computer better equipped to handle their needs could end up seeing this HP spin-off as a good thing.
