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HP joins the chorus of tech optimists - up to a point

November 23rd, 2009 11:37pm
by Richard Waters

Mark Hurd is finally starting to look on the bright side. The boss of HP has been one of the most cautious tech CEOs in recent weeks, but when I caught up with him moments after the company put out its latest quarterly earnings today (the headline numbers were pre-announced earlier this month) he was sounding uncharacteristically relaxed.

You have to be a student of Mr Hurd’s normally dour style to understand just how optimistic he can make it sound when he says he’s feeling “a little more positive”. He said there had been a continuing rebound in the US in the latest quarter and “good sequential improvement in Asia in most markets”.

The one thing preventing Mr Hurd from feeling downright happy, in fact, is Europe.

Continue reading "HP joins the chorus of tech optimists - up to a point"

November 23rd, 2009 11:37pm in Computers, Tech | Permalink | Comment

HP’s drip-dry touchy-feely PCs

October 13th, 2009 5:40pm
by Chris Nuttall

HP has launched a new PC lineup, ranging from laptops with innovative drains, aimed at preventing ruinous keyboard spills, to enhanced versions of its TouchSmart all-in-one PCs.

At a sneak preview of the new machines in San Francisco,  HP demonstrated an impressive guttering system underneath a laptop keyboard. Continue reading "HP’s drip-dry touchy-feely PCs"

October 13th, 2009 5:40pm in Digital media, Hardware | Permalink | Comment

HP SkyRoom sets low ceiling on videochat

September 22nd, 2009 11:22pm
by Chris Nuttall

HP today came up with a videoconferencing product that could work out 1,000 times cheaper than the telepresence mega-productions itself and Cisco have been pushing.

Cisco’s TelePresence or HP’s Halo can cost more than $300,000 for a boardroom suite setup, but HP’s  SkyRoom could link two boardrooms for less than $300. Continue reading "HP SkyRoom sets low ceiling on videochat"

September 22nd, 2009 11:22pm in Digital media, Internet, Software | Permalink | Comment

Larry Ellison’s Plan A: Buy only Sun’s software assets

May 12th, 2009 10:28pm
by Richard Waters

Speculation about a possible spin-off of Sun’s hardware business by Oracle may not be so wide of the mark after all. The reason: Oracle’s initial acquisition interest only extended to some of Sun’s software assets.

Also, HP spent months doing due diligence over a possible bid of its own but backed out at the last minute without ever submitting an offer, so there’s a chance of it emerging as a buyer should Oracle opt to shed any parts of Sun in future.

Those are some of the things to be gleaned from Sun’s detailed disclosure to the SEC today of the events leading up to its deal with Oracle (HP’s identity is not disclosed - it is mentioned in the filing only as “Party B”. But one person who had a ringside seat to the action has told us that HP was actively engaged for months, and that despite widespread speculation, Cisco never showed any serious interest.)

Continue reading "Larry Ellison’s Plan A: Buy only Sun’s software assets"

May 12th, 2009 10:28pm in Computers | Permalink | Comment

techfile 3.3.09

March 3rd, 2009 5:00am
by morning call

  • After more than 40 years, a first from Intel: the leading semiconductor company announced that it would outsource the manufacturing of some of its chips. The unprecedented agreement with Taiwan’s TSMC shows how Intel is adjusting its manufacturing and business model as the Atom processor starts to play a bigger part in its future. While the US company will still make the low-cost chips for netbook computers itself, it said that TSMC’s relationships with device makers would help the technology find its way into a much wider range of smartphones and other gadgets. Continue reading "techfile 3.3.09"

March 3rd, 2009 5:00am in Techfile | Permalink | Comment

techfile 20.2.09

February 20th, 2009 6:00am
by morning call

February 20th, 2009 6:00am in Techfile | Permalink | Comment

Not just a pretty picture

January 11th, 2009 11:14pm
by Chris Nuttall

HP Smart Display@CES, Las Vegas - One significant trend to frame and hang on the wall from the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, which ends today, is the increasing sophistication of digital picture frames (DPFs).

Wireless connectivity and high-performance multimedia processors are beginning to give them functionality far beyond the usual digital slideshows of family snaps. Continue reading "Not just a pretty picture"

January 11th, 2009 11:14pm in Consumer Electronics, Digital media, Hardware | Permalink | Comment

The opposite of netbooks

January 9th, 2009 9:03am
by Chris Nuttall

Firebird@CES, Las Vegas - What are the opposite of small, cheap, modestly powered netbooks for the masses?

How about big, expensive, high-end PCs for gamers?

If netbook sales are going to grow 80 per cent in 2009, according to Consumer Electronics Association forecasts, as consumers become more budget-conscious in a recession, does this mean sales of $4,000 to 6,000 PCs will plummet? Continue reading "The opposite of netbooks"

January 9th, 2009 9:03am in Games, Hardware, Mobile | Permalink | Comment

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