IBM exiting the laptop business!! See Ya Thinkpad...

T

trikster2

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 11, 2004
Messages
151
False Rumor or true???????????


12/2/2004
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/index.php?p=805
IBM to exit PC business
-Posted by dan.farber @ 9:40 pm (PDT)

* Home
* Hardware Infrastructure

The New York Times is reporting that IBM is preparing to unload its desktop and notebook PC business, exiting the low-margin PC business (of which IBM currently has about 5.6% according to Gartner, trailing Dell and HP significantly).

The sale, likely to be in the $1 billion to $2 billion range, is expected to include the entire range of desktop, laptop and notebook computers made by I.B.M.

According to the people close to the negotiations, I.B.M. is in serious discussions with Lenovo, China's largest maker of personal computers, and at least one other potential buyer for the unit. Lenovo was formerly known as Legend.

I can remember the days in the early 1980s when the IBM PC and IBM-PC compatible defined the personal computer--that was before Wintel rose to prominence and the Macintosh (with 128K of RAM) came along in 1984, setting the bar for usability. PCs have become a commodity business and being the number three provider, with more of an eye on high-margin enterprise product and services, isn't enviable, even if it's more than a $10 billion line of business as in IBM's case.
 
God I hope not. Thinkpads are the best general purpose laptops out there IMO. They just FEEL so much more solid and better built than everything else on the market. I was planning on buying a T series soon after my next desktop purchase. Now I may be stuck buying used. I really couldn't fathom buying any other laptop brand.

-zac-
 
I hope not too!

I was hoping to get a Thinkpad in a year or two as a general purpose lightweight. Their feel of durability is hard to match.
 
I'm currently typing this on a ThinkPad T20, and as far as durability goes, it's some of the best I've seen. It's about 6 years old, I believe, and came out of a dumpster from Pfizer. P3 at 746 MHz, and it's been dropped and taken apart so many times it's not funny. Haven't had any problems, other than the DC jack starting to come loose, but considering that it literally is a piece of junk, I'm fine with that. As far as them going out of laptops, I wouldn't think so, considering how recently the X series was launched, only a year or so ago IIRC. If not, you'd be fine getting a used one, as if it wasn't horribly and hideously abused more than a college student and a corporate dumpster can get, it'll work just fine. But, considering that this has been reported by numerous places, it seems a bit likely.... And to think, I love my TrackPoint oh so dearly.
 
There iSeries wasent too good imho, i had a ton of problems with mine. In genral i like them, but my iSeries 1400 soured me on IBMs :(
 
I am kinda suprised to see IBM leave the consumer PC arena.

I see IBMs everywhere, and they certainly are good machines. A bit sad considering IBM helped to pioneer the PC market.
 
I saw this coming a while ago, first sign was IBM pulling their stuff from retail. Then they got rid of their HDD business to Hitachi (whose doing a bang-up job). Personally I don't like IBM. I have to do workorders on desktops for IBM in addition to Dell and I always hate having to replace their motherboards because 90% of the time the board doesn't work without a BIOS flash, and IBM doesn't have the common courtesy to send a floppy or CD-ROM with the latest flash on it (Which Dell does thankfully). I have to wade through their HORRIBLE website just to find the cotton pickin BIOS update. IBM expects me to waste my personal time doing this no less....I say good riddance. I'm just thankful I don't have to work on Thinkpads.
 
I'd be really sad to see them depart the market.

Typing this on a ThinkPad 570 (circa 1999) on the docking station. Traded my iPod mini to get this old workhorse:

Pentium 2 366 MHz
192MB PC66 SDRAM (maxed out)
13.3" XGA LCD
Swapped the original 6.4GB drive for a 20GB, works like a charm
56K
RealPort 10/100 PC Card

running XP SP2 tweaked out

ThinkPads are just the best overall laptops ever made, I'd say. The most successful line of laptops ever, definitely.

It'll be sad to see them go and I'll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for good deals on them if they start to disappear.

br0adband
 
Don't think the notebooks are going anywhere. IBM will continue on with the ThinkPad line as always. I believe they are just making a joint venture deal on the desktop lines
DigiTimes
 
Oh no they didn't! They better not ditch their notebooks, I had planned to get one this summer!
 
I'm fairly confident in saying that IBM will retain the thinkpad line, even if they get rid of their desktops.

Business people (and a lot of people here) want reliability and quality. You're not going to find that in a Dell or HP laptop. No...there are many more people that swear by Thinkpads than swear at Thinkpads...and those are the people with plenty of money. IBM's catered more to business people and other institutions where they buy computers by the dozen or hundred, rather than single units at a time like consumers. I doubt they'll give that up.
 
it's not gonna happen.. I seriously doubt that IBM will exit the desktop PC business, LET ALONE, their prized Thinkpads!!
 
Mr_Evil said:
I saw this coming a while ago, first sign was IBM pulling their stuff from retail. Then they got rid of their HDD business to Hitachi (whose doing a bang-up job). Personally I don't like IBM. I have to do workorders on desktops for IBM in addition to Dell and I always hate having to replace their motherboards because 90% of the time the board doesn't work without a BIOS flash, and IBM doesn't have the common courtesy to send a floppy or CD-ROM with the latest flash on it (Which Dell does thankfully). I have to wade through their HORRIBLE website just to find the cotton pickin BIOS update. IBM expects me to waste my personal time doing this no less....I say good riddance. I'm just thankful I don't have to work on Thinkpads.
Click to expand...

I can't remember... is "bang up job" good or bad?
 
lopoetve said:
I can't remember... is "bang up job" good or bad?
Click to expand...

Doth mine english bug thee? :p

In the context I was using I think that Hitachi is doing a better job at HDDs than IBM did...though I'd still rather have a Seagate.
 
Thinkpads are built like tanks. My sister drops hers like crazy and it never fails.
 
Mr_Evil said:
Doth mine english bug thee? :p

In the context I was using I think that Hitachi is doing a better job at HDDs than IBM did...though I'd still rather have a Seagate.
Click to expand...

Thine english doth not bug me. Thine english left me confused:p

I'd tend to agree, though, but I love my 60gxp that's still running :)
 
I know Marriott Hotel uses IBMs thougout their company. They lease their PCs, I wonder how that leaves them?
 
I really wanted an IBM Thinkpad, but I got a better deal on my Toshiba...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top