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OEM Industry Leaders Interviewed
jkwdoc writes "In one of the few mass interviews ever conducted, the crew at HardOCP.com talked to seven different OEM presidents and founders to ask them about the PC industry. The names include Michael Dell, Kelt Reeves (Falcon Northwest), Randy Copeland (Velocity Micro), and Albert Wang (ABS/Newegg), among others. The questions ranged from their business principles, to the effect of the enthusiast and gaming markets, to what dual- and quad-core technology means for the next generation of computing. You'll be surprised at some of the answers." Of course, the article has to span nine pages because they have to show their ads over...and over...and over.
That's what Firefox needs, a generic bollocks filter! Adjustable settings could include stuff like "corporate press release," "mainstream news," and "emo livejournal." Somebody, write a plugin!
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
Q1: What is the current state of the computer hardware manufacturing industry?
Michael Dell: We pretty much own what we can get of the US/European market, so we're trying to find out how to sell in other parts of the world where people want computers but don't have money.
Wang: Mumble mumble buy this now
Falcon Northwest: We don't really care, we just sell whatever is most expensive
Maingear: I am a nerd
Velocity Micro: I went to graduate school
Puget: Our computers are cool, and we're cool
Overdrive: Hello, I used to work at IBM
Q2: How would you characterize your company's current place in the manufacturing industry? What, if anything, do you plan to change about your company's place in the industry?
Velocity Micro: We keep fighting hard, although we are the best.
Dell Corporation: We hire nerds who went to graduate school
Falcon Northwest: Our PCs are better than yours
Wang: We're just the best
Overdrive: Our PCs are really very good
Maingear: Your PCs will be assembled by organic workers
Puget: Leading Computer Supplies, Top Value
Q: What practices and values have helped your company succeed? How important are the following ideals in your company: (a) innovation and (b) consistency of build quality?
Falcon: We have sex with our customers, even if they are men. We even get them the latest toys. Hey, they are paying.
Overdrive: My PC is better than yours
Dell: We annoy you and you will tend to see us everywhere, yet people still buy from us. Suck ass.
Maingear: For the final quality testing, we strap our computers to the crotches of technicians, who proceed to battle it out. The best wins.
Velocity: We are, in fact, organic ourselves. Look, I have a flesh arm.
Puget: You could build houses of our computers
ABS: We suck
Q: Does the hardware enthusiast market influence the integrator strategy? What about the PC gaming market? If so, how, and what is the net effect on your company?
Maingear: Nerds.
Dell: We suck up to people
Wang: We are robotic drones. Maybe that makes our computers cheap?
Falcon: We pretend to be like you so you will buy our computers
Overdrive: We just do whatever.
Puget: Buy more of our computers, they really rock
Velocity: We are the elite of technocracy
Q: How will the mainstream arrival of dual- and quad-core technologies affect the industry as a whole? How will these technologies influence your company?
Falcon: We're not paying attention but it doesn't matter since we're just selling the most expensive stuff anyway
Dell: Buy our computers, we're spread them out here for you to look at
Puget: Zen zen, the future is now!
Wang: We're just being silly
Overdrive: We're just selling stuff that people want.
Velocity: We're boring people at parties, but boy can we make computers
Maingear: Impossible is nothing. You'll see. Once we've grafted this computer into your eyes.
Q: Currently, what serious bottlenecks or obstacles do your company and the whole industry face?
Wang: Can someone sue Dell please?
Maingear: Customers, stop being cheap, sucky bastards.
Dell: Our boring nature hides a master of hypnosis
Velocity: We grow our computers like others grow broccoli
Falcon: Not buying our computers gives you cancer
Puget: You won't be better at 'doing this yourself' than you will at DIY, so don't consider it.
Overdrive: We're boring.
Q: With the rapid changes in hardware, how far ahead is it practical to project future developments in the hardware manufacturing industry? What will be the state of the industry at the end of that projected timeframe? Where do you want your company to be then?
Overdrive: We live in the crazy home, if you join us there will be throwing of cake. It's not likely to change.
Maingear: We're trying to build a monopoly. Shut up.
Wang: We're the best, B-S-T-E
Falcon: I'm just a simple blacksmith, making thees computers
Velocity: Our products will be like spiders - unless you buy e