HP CEO Scorecard: Google Android 3, Windows 8 Zero
How does Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) CEO Meg Whitman feel about Windows 8 vs. emerging Google Android and Chrome OS tablet and notebook alternatives? The answers emerged indirectly amid HP’s Q2 2013 earnings call yesterday.
During the HP earnings call, Whitman said:
“Following the launch of our first Chromebook in February, we launched the new Slate 7 in the second quarter. The Slate marries a sleek 7-inch form factor with an ARM chip and Android platform to deliver a compelling mobile device at $169. Early signs of interest in this product are encouraging. And just last week, we introduced the HP Slate Book X2, the first Android hybrid device with the NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor. The Slate Book X2 provides users with more realistic gaming, faster web browsing and smoother HD video playback.”
Later in the call, when talking about the PC market, Whitman said: “And then PCs, listen, if we have the right product priced right, the channel still loves HP and they want to sell in our product, whether it’s to small businesses, medium-sized businesses, or the enterprise. And frankly having Android products here helps a lot. This $169 Slate helps cover a segment of the market that we didn’t have before. So I’d say those are the things. The first ones were the ones I feel most certain about and we’ll have to see how industry-standard servers pans out and how our PC product is received by the channel.”
If you’re keeping score, that’s:
- Three mentions of Google Android;
- one for Google Chromebooks; and
- none for Microsoft’s Windows 8.
HP’s Hard PC Reality
Why did Whitman avoid mention of Windows 8? As Doug Kass reported on The VAR Guy, HP’s overall PC business continues to struggle badly:
- Overall PC revenue fell 20 percent year-over-year;
- Commercial PC revenue fell 14 percent;
- Consumer sales — where Windows 8 mainly competes — were down 29 percent.
- Unit shipments for desktop fell 21 percent and notebooks dropped by 24 percent.
Read between the lines and Windows 8.1 — Microsoft’s forthcoming refresh — can’t arrive soon enough.
Honestly, it’s just more of
Honestly, it’s just more of the same…HP has NO love for Microsoft, it seems that all these years were just consignment to a bad relationship, but it’s HP that really should look at what a horrible girlfriend it really is. =
Honestly Mike, you should
Honestly Mike, you should know that the basis of almost all relationships are Love or Money.
since you claim that HP does not Love Microsoft, then one can conclude they stay in the relationship for the money – even if they can make more money with Love spread around, even to Linux.
Similar to how prostitution works.
Several articles, including
Several articles, including this one ‘intimate’ that HP and other large OEM computer manufacturers have a strong interest in providing Android or non-Microsoft software on their mobile hardware, yet HP has only just “trial” launched one such device with no commitment or guarantee that the company will even continue production or support into 2014.
Unfortunately the track record of HP, and companies like Dell in long term support of all non-Microsoft technology has been abysmal, often totally abandoning purchasers of these products early in the release schedule, and in a very dismissive manner. Credible reports indicate this action took place at the behest of or possible demand from Microsoft.
It was only late 2012 and early 2013 that HP was in collusion with Microsoft in an attempt to berate and discredit the City of Munich, Germany about the city’s replacement of all Microsoft software with Linux based solutions. It has been revealed that the two clown heads made gross and false allegations about many aspects of the transition, and lied about Munich’s actual comparative evaluation report.
What would make the VarGuy think that this time is different?
Android and Chromebooks are
Android and Chromebooks are written and maintained by Google, so there will be app and OS updates. Also Android and Chromebooks are closed devices for which you cannot upgrade internal graphics or add internal PCI bus cards, so if the hardware is supported on day (which it will be because the hardware is not substitutable, then it will always be supported).
The commenter “anonymous”
The commenter “anonymous” with comment starting “Android and Chromebooks….” does not seem to get the point. It matters not that Android or OEM Chromebooks are closed and controlled (even partially by Google) – they are not Microsoft based, and when the behemoth from Redmond demands that HP, Dell and a few other Microsoft ‘obedient’ minions stop supporting non_Microsoft in any significant way, they will obey – immediately and completely, as usual.