hewlett-packard

HP reconsidering PC unit spinoff, report says

Hewlett-Packard is reconsidering its decision to spin off its personal computer business after new analysis indicated the spinoff costs might outweigh the benefits, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The spinoff was announced during an earnings call in August by then-CEO Leo Apotheker as part of an effort to refocus its business around other core competencies. Apotheker used the same call to announce the company would discontinue WebOS devices, including the TouchPad tablet.

"The analysis is under way now," an HP representative told the Journal. "We said we would explore all options and that … Read more

Palm on Amazon's own wish list, report says

Amazon may have Palm on its shopping list.

The retail giant is said to be in "serious negotiations" to acquire what's left of Palm from current parent Hewlett-Packard, according to VentureBeat.

Citing a "well-placed source," VentureBeat says that HP is eager to get rid of Palm, and among the current suitors, Amazon is the closest to cutting a deal. The tech news site also notes a connection between the companies as former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein, who currently has a role at HP working with WebOS, joined Amazon's board of directors last year.

VentureBeat also pointed to a July interview with Rubinstein at This is My Next in which he discussed Amazon as a potential partner.

"I would say Amazon would certainly make a great partner, because they have a lot of characteristics that would help them expand the WebOS ecosystem," Rubinstein said. "As to whether there's been discussions or not...that's obviously not something I'm going to comment about."

HP's WebOS chief Stephen DeWitt also played up his praise of the retail giant in the interview.… Read more

Whitman to draw $1 salary as HP's CEO

Newly installed Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman is joining a legion of Silicon Valley executives who have agreed to work for a single buck.

Whitman, who took over the helm of the computer maker last week when its board ousted previous CEO Leo Apotheker, will work for a base salary of $1 a year, according to a regulatory filing today. The former eBay CEO will also have the option to purchase 1.9 million shares of HP stock that will vest only when and if the company's stock price increases 120 percent over its current price, according to the Securities … Read more

HP and Apple face-off: EliteBook vs. MacBook

As Hewlett-Packard mulls the fate of its PC operations, this is a good opportunity to contrast HP's ultraportable workhorse with Apple's popular MacBook Air.

Just before the news broke about Hewlett-Packard considering a spin-off of its PC operations, I received an EliteBook 2560p from HP to try out. Call it uncanny. Or, better yet, call it an opportune time to take a high-end HP laptop for a spin and compare two competing design philosophies from two of the most successful--and biggest--computer companies in the world.

And, yes, I wondered for a moment if this was the last opportunity to handle a new HP-branded laptop. But that thought quickly vanished. HP Executive Chairman Ray Lane has said--as recently as Thursday--that the $40 billion PC operations will either be spun off as an "HP branded" company or kept inside.

With that preamble, let's get down to business. First, some quick notes about the EliteBook 2560p. Among the business models announced in the last six months or so, the 2560p is the closest that HP gets to the Air. (Some might argue that the ProBook 5330m or Pavilion dm1 are closer, but I'm sticking with the 2560p as the best point of comparison for reasons cited below--besides, that's all I've got to work with.)

(Note: this is not a formal review but general impressions of the 2560p after using it for about three weeks. And also note that I am not comparing it to the latest MacBook Air with Intel Sandy Bridge chips inside. I'm sure the MacBook faithful will cry foul on that account. My everyday machine is the MBA spec'd below.) … Read more

Meg Whitman takes over at HP (roundup)

Leo Apotheker is ousted after less than a year at the helm. But are Hewlett-Packard's problems too deep and too tangled for anyone to fix?

HP's top challenge vs. rivals: Continuity Continuity wouldn't be such a big deal for Hewlett-Packard if it didn't have to compete with IBM and Oracle daily. • No quick fixes at HP, say analysts (Posted in Between the Lines by Larry Dignan) September 23, 2011 7:01 a.m. PT

Apotheker bids farewell; did he see it coming? Former HP CEO Leo Apotheker exits gracefully, saying Meg Whitman and her executive … Read more

HP facing pressure to keep PC unit inside--report

Hewlett-Packard is facing pressure to keep its PC business inside the company according to an Asia-based report.

Growing concern about the fate of HP's PC unit is pushing "channel operators" to switch their orders from HP to brands such as Dell, Acer, and Lenovo, according to a report in Digitimes, citing sources.

The report names Acer as a major beneficiary of the shift.

HP's Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) partners, including Quanta Computer, Inventec, Wistron, and Foxconn Electronics, will "regain...confidence" in HP if it decides not to spin off its PC business, the report … Read more

In first e-mail, Whitman installs suggestion box

In their first e-mail to Hewlett-Packard employees following Meg Whitman's appointment as the company's new chief executive officer, Whitman and Executive Chairman Ray Lane call on staffers to offer up their best work and focus on execution.

"We must invest in innovation, leverage the strength of our core businesses, enhance our software capabilities, and integrate our assets to maximize the value of our investments," the two say. "We believe in HP's strategy, and we are confident that together, with renewed focus and energy, we will deliver on our priorities for our stockholders, customers, and … Read more

HP CEO, chairman reiterate commitment to hardware

In a conference call Thursday, HP Chairman Ray Lane and newly appointed CEO Meg Whitman reaffirmed HP's commitment to hardware .

Ray Lane--who is now executive chairman, a more active position than his previous role as nonexecutive chairman--began the conference call by stating that "as an active member of HP's board of directors for the past 8 months, Meg has a solid understanding of our products and our markets...as an executive chairman I will partner with Meg and support her as she leads the management team to improve execution and enhance accountability."

Whitman began by addressing … Read more

Text of HP's Meg Whitman announcement

Hewlett-Packard announced today that former eBay CEO Meg Whitman will take over as the company's chief executive, replacing Leo Apotheker. Here is the official announcement:

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011--HP today announced that its board of directors has appointed Meg Whitman as president and chief executive officer.

In addition, Ray Lane has moved from non-executive chairman to executive chairman of the board of directors, and the board intends to appoint a lead independent director promptly. These leadership appointments are effective immediately and follow the decision that Leo Apotheker step down as president and chief executive officer and resign … Read more