Computer Engineer.pdfComputer Engineer

Computer Engineer
9–710–442 FEBRUARY 14, 2010 JAN W. RIVKIN Revitalizing Dell From the early 1990s until
the mid–2000s, Michael Dell and his company thrived in the tumultuous personal computer
industry. Revenue of Dell Inc. rose from $3.5 billion in 1993 to $55.9 billion in 2005, making Dell
the world's largest producer of PCs, while net income climbed from $149 million to $3.6 billion. In
many of those years, Dell earned more on PCs than all of its main rivals combined, and among top
vendors, only Dell consistently reported positive margins on PCs.1 Dell owed much of its success to
its vaunted "Direct Model": While competitors sold primarily through distributors, resellers, and
retailers, Dell took orders directly from customers, built ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Resellers commonly handled installation, configured software, pieced together networks, and
serviced PCs. As demand for IBM's PC exploded, other firms began to offer "IBM clones." Compaq
entered the market with a low–priced clone in 1982 and booked $100 million of revenue in its first
year. A host of other startups soon followed. Among them was Dell, incorporated in 1984. Like
IBM, makers of IBM clones relied on resellers and retail stores to reach customers. While IBM
initially steered resellers away from the largest corporate accounts, startups without internal sales
forces encouraged resellers to cater to large customers. In time, even IBM relied heavily on resellers
to service large accounts. By 1986, IBM realized that it had set a standard, but in doing so, had
spawned imitators and ceded the rights to the most valuable components of the PC–the
microprocessor and the operating system–to Intel and Microsoft. In 1986, IBM declined to adopt
Intel's newest microprocessor, the 386 chip and tried to make the PC more proprietary. Compaq
adopted the 386 chip and led a group of clone makers in affirming the existing industry standards.
IBM subsequently accepted the 386 chip, but its market share fell from 37% in
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Background & Marketing Strategy
LENOVO COMPANY HISTORY
Lenovo Group Limited is today the largest information technology enterprise in China and the third
largest computer company in the world which is has an 8.6 per cent share of the PC market, after
Hewlett–Packard at 15 per cent and Dell of the US at 16.8 per cent. During its first 20 years, Lenovo
evolved from a small distributor of imported computers into China's leading computer firm and in
2005, it purchased IBM's division. Lenovo has been the market leader for seven consecutive years,
commanding a 27 per cent share of the domestic PC market. It is also the market leader in the Asia
Pacific region (excluding Japan), with a market share of 12.6 per cent.
Lenovo produces desktops, laptops, servers, handheld ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Yang also slashed PC prices by 30 per cent to just above cost. By 1995, Legend was the world's
fifth–largest manufacturer of motherboards.
In 1996, Legend introduced its first laptop model and marketed PCs carrying Intel's Pentium chip in
China, undercutting prior generation competitor prices. Increased sales volumes brought down costs
dramatically, allowing Legend to make a profit while overtaking IBM as China's PC market leader
with 7 percent market share. In 1997, Legend signed an intellectual property agreement with
Microsoft and formed an alliance with IBM for the distribution of IBM software products in China,
allowing the firm to sell PCs with pre–installed IBM software.
By 1999, Legend was China's PC market leader with 21.5 per cent share. In addition to exporting
Legend PCs, the firm continued to distribute foreign–branded PCs in China, and the combined sales
made Legend the number one vendor of PCs in the region. Its 9.1 per cent market share for PCs
topped IBM's and Compaq's share in Asia.
The company was forced to change its English brand name from Legend to Lenovo in 2003,
because the former had been registered in various sectors in many countries, making it difficult to
promote the brand overseas. The new name, combining the Le of Legend with the universally
recognised Latin prefix signifying newness, is intended to build an innovative image for the group
worldwide.
Lenovo made a first attempt in internationalization

Dell Case Study
CASE STUDY
Creative Media Services
Written by Todd Beals
Media & Technology Analyst
4/22/03
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Executive Summary..................................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................4
Problem Identification...............................................................................4
Company Analysis....................................................................................5
Critical Success Factors..............................................................................7
Distribution Channel Analysis......................................................................8
Sales Infrastructure Analysis........................................................................9
Industry Analysis.....................................................................................9
Competitor Analysis.................................................................................9
Customer Analysis..................................................................................10
SWOT Analysis.....................................................................................11
Current Strategy (4P's, Target Market, Positioning)...........................................11 ... Show more
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Can it continue to maintain its stellar track record in light of the sudden decrease in demand,
especially with lower and lower profit margins resulting from price wars in the industry ? Should
Dell continue forward with its highly successful 'direct model' strategy to try and
4
sustain its profitability in light of the industry's –10% growth rate and 50% reduction in profit
margins in late 2000, or should it change its expectations and react to the commodity nature of the
environment? Dell's immediate challenge is to try and sustain its positive growth rate, spike its stock
prices, and conquer new markets. But how does Dell choose its next product or service to offer the
world ? It must make the right choices as to what is the next value proposition that really matters to
its customers. Another challenge for Dell is how to cope in a new world where technology devices
and components cost less and less (resulting in shrinking profit margins) that become obsolete
practically overnight. Perhaps, Dell's biggest challenge will be to have the discipline to know when
and how to change strategies that have worked so well up to now. If Dell does not have the vision
and adaptability, it will be just a matter of time before another company does a Dell on Dell.
ANALYSIS –Dell's Competitive

Dell Strategic Management Report
SM assignment 2： "Internal elements pose more potential risks to an organisation achieving its
strategic objectives than external elements." Dell is a multi–national information technology
corporation which designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports a range of computer
systems and services that are customized to individual customer requirements. As one of global PC
suppliers, Dell set 2 strategic objectives to achieve, to be the No.1 global market share PC supplier,
and optimize the balance of liquidity, profitability, and growth with a focus on increasing the mix of
their product portfolio to higher margin products and recurring revenue streams. (Dell annual report
2009, pg 4). Dell existed in one of the biggest ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
People like ipad because of the new technology, easy to carry, better performance and similar prices
as laptop. Therefore ipad is the obstacle for Dell to achieve their strategic objectives, because ipad
leads to reduce the sale amounts of Dell computer, the profits of Dell computer will be a huge loss.
This force describes the intensity of competition between existing players (companies) in an
industry. High competitive pressure results in high pressure on prices, margins, and hence on the
profitability for every single company in the industry. We can obtain the results through the analysis
of the high competition in PC markets, those are, firstly, the rivalry among competitors in global PC
industry is very intense, secondly, the PC products have become homogenous for all the PC makers
in worldwide, thirdly, customers can easily switch between the PC products. Dell was the global
market leader in PC industry, but Dell's leading position was gradually being replaced by others in
recent years. Figure 2, Top 5 worldwide PC vendors [pic] Looking at the figure above, Hewlett–
Packard leapfrogged over Dell to recapture the lead as the No. 1 PC maker worldwide for the first
time since 2008, ranking third after HP and Acer, the growth of Dell is slower than HP and Acer,
shipping 526 thousand PCs for a 5.2 percent market share in 08/09 period. It means Dell is facing
the big challenge from HP, Acer and other competitors in global

Apple Case Study Essay
Danielle Williams – Strategic Management – Mertens Apple Case Study A. Problem Summary
Apple's root problem is the ability for competitors to drive product prices down through the creation
of comparable devices or software. Apple is known for aspiring to bring innovative products to
market at a premium quality and accompanying high price. Gaining high profit margins on the sales
of their products has counteracted the lesser global market share percentage Apple has compared to
other leading PC vendors. Exhibit 3b in the case study shows HP and Dell with more than double
the market share in the year 2002–2014 in the United States alone. Apple did not make the top list of
market share percentage on the worldwide market comparisons. In the more recent years of 2012–
2014 Android became a top competitor with Apple by competing with comparable devices and
operating systems. Apple cannot afford to let competitors have the opportunity to control their
pricing strategies and affectively decrease customer perceived value. B. Analysis First, analyzing the
external environment with Porter's Five Forces model reveals that Apple has low supplier power
which means costs in this area can be kept low since suppliers are competing with each other to
obtain a supplier contract. Rivalry is high and forces Apple to stay innovative in order to compete
and be first to market with new technology. Analyzing internally through a value chain analysis
identifies supply chain management, operations,

Microsoft Antitrust Case
Introduction
This case study is about the antitrust case of Microsoft's business practice around its Internet
Explorer product. In this case study, the background of the case is discussed, followed by a
discussion on whether Microsoft was abusing its monopolistic power in trying to win over its
competition, and whether Microsoft was anti–competitive as alleged by people who opposes the
company. In addition, the case also relates to how consumers are impacted by Microsoft's business
practices, and how the intervention of legal system has influenced the software market.
Analysis
Background of the Case
On May 18 1998, Microsoft was sued for illegal competitive practices to protect its monopoly, by
the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Attorneys General of twenty U.S. states. In addition,
the DOJ sued Microsoft in October 1998 for violating a 1994 consent decree by bundling its Internet
browser with the Windows software. Judge Jackson found Microsoft's dominance of the personal
computer (PC) based operating systems (OS) to be a monopoly, that Microsoft had taken
anticompetitive actions. He judged that Microsoft had violated Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman
Antitrust Act and ordered a breakup of Microsoft into two units, one for the OS and the other for
non–OS softwares. However, the Court of Appeals announced ... Show more content on
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First, whether Microsoft was allowed to bundle its flagship Internet Explorer (IE) web browser
software with its Microsoft Windows operating system. Bundling IE with the OS gave Microsoft a
competitive advantage, as the competing web browsers had to be downloaded or purchased at a
store. Second, whether Microsoft altered or manipulated its application programming interfaces
(APIs) to favor Internet Explorer over third–party web browsers. Third, legality of Microsoft's
conduct in forming restrictive licensing agreements with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),
given Microsoft's intent in its course of

Mkt 505 Assignment 1
MKT 505
Dr. Benjamin Bao
4/22/2012
MKT 505
Dr. Benjamin Bao
4/22/2012
By: Brandon Lamond Meadows
By: Brandon Lamond Meadows
ACER ANALYSIS
ACER ANALYSIS
ACER ANALYSIS Founded in Taiwan, Acer is a multinational manufacturer of electronics. They
also happen to own the largest franchised personal computer retail chain that exists in Taipei,
Taiwan. It is also the 3rd largest personal computer manufacturer in the world behind Hewlett
Packard and Dell Incorporated. Their product line incorporates a variety of personal computer
products including laptops, desktop systems, as well as servers and storage, peripherals, displays, e–
business services for business, government, education, and even home users, and personal digital ...
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Typically, however, quoted paradoxical statements do not imply a real contradiction and the
puzzling results can be rectified by demonstrating that one or more of the premises themselves are
not really true, a play on words, faulty and/or cannot all be true together. That definition can be
applied to the approach that Shih utilized for company. The premise of utilizing a local market in
order to capture a global market seems uncanny to most. But Acer had the know–how to compete in
the local sector because it has power among its global partners that works to its advantage. It has
access to several key technologies, innovative outlets and possesses a economies of scale. Knowing
the market also aids the company in being successful in the local arena. After strengthening its ties
locally it is better equipped to capture more of the global market
3) Determine what strategies Acer can apply to become the world's third largest PC company,
behind Dell and Hewlett–Packard. Acer's acquisitions have aided it in rising to become a very
powerful player in the PC industry. According to Businessweek.com, the company is benefiting
from its $710 million purchase of Gateway, announced in August 2007. At the time of the deal,
Gateway was the third–biggest PC brand in the U.S., and the purchase has helped Acer gain ground
in a market that had long stymied the Taiwanese

Apple Case Study
Question 1: What, historically, have been Apple's competitive advantage?
Historically, Apple's competitive advantage has been product differentiation and premium pricing
strategy. Apple is known for offering high–end innovative products. Mike Markkula, investor and
entrepreneur, was able to attract a lot of venture capital which allowed Apple to place a significant
investment into R&D in order to create its premium products. Unlike other "Wintel" firms that
manufacture only hardware, Apple controls both hardware and software placing it into a unique
position of providing consumers with a complete desktop solution. Their competitive advantage was
driven by software such as Aldus Pagemaker and peripherals such as laser printers. ... Show more
Right before they had acquired NeXT, a software company created by Steve Jobs that gave them the
resources they needed to advance their OS, Apple had almost gone bankrupt.
Question 3: How sustainable is Apple's competitive position in PCs, MP3 players, and smartphones?
Apple's long term competitive advantage will be sustained because of their differentiation and
pricing strategies. Apple nested the concept of the "digital hub" where Mac could be the preferred
"hub" to control and integrate all its products. They followed a very aggressive distribution strategy
to penetrate the market and increase their reach to the consumers. Their retail stores will enable
increased sales by letting the consumers experience their software and products first hand. Apple
placed the ads in popular fashion magazines as opposed to just general computer publications.
Through their initiatives of the "digital hub" comprising of iTunes, iPhoto, iWeb, they have been
successful in practicing the strategy of bundling. Using this approach they create a perception of
providing consumers the value for their money; however they extract the consumer surplus which
results in positive economic profits Appx. 1, 1.1.
Apple will continue to sustain its target market in the PC world, which are the home consumers and
the education industry. They value design, mobility and wireless

Lenovo Financial Paper
Financial Analysis Lenovo Group Limited CONTENT I. Introduction 3 1. Background 3 2. Nature
of business 8 3. Description of product/services 9 4. Current Revenue size and Profit 12 5. Major
Market Served 15 6. Ownership 16 7. Other relevant basic information 17 8. Company`s business
strategy 21 II. Analysis of Company Performance 21 1. Company Growth 21 2. Financial ratios 23
3. Liquidity 23 4. Leverage 25 5. Profitability – Dupont Analysis 26 6. Fiscal Fitness Alman's z–
score 27 III. Analysis of Company`s Value Creation 28 IV. FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS 31 1.
Assumptions 31 2. Forecast Balance sheet of Lenovo 2013–2015 32 3. Forecast Income Statement
of Lenovo 2013–2015 33 4. Forecast financial ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
IBM PCD introduces its ThinkCentre desktop PC line. Legend announces the birth of its new
"Lenovo" logo to prepare for its expansion into the overseas market. Based on the collaborative
application technology, Lenovo initiates IGRS Working Group, in cooperation with a few large
companies and the Chinese Ministry of the Information Industry, to promote the formation of the
industrial standard. Lenovo launches a Tech RoadShow 2003 nationwide to promote Lenovo's
innovation. Lenovo successfully develops DeepComp 6800 in November 2003. It ranks 14th on the
global list. 2004 IBM PCD introduces the ThinkCentre ultra small desktop PC, no larger than a box
of corn flakes. IBM PCD introduces the first notebook with an integrated fingerprint reader. IBM
PCD ships its 100–millionth PC (counting both desktop and notebook computers). Lenovo becomes
an Olympic worldwide partner. It is the first Chinese company to become a computer technology
equipment partner of the IOC. Lenovo decides to develop the rural market by launching the
"Yuanmeng" PC series designed for township home users. Lenovo and IBM announce an agreement
by which Lenovo will acquire IBM's Personal Computing Division, its global PC (desktop and
notebook computer) business. The acquisition forms a top–tier (third–largest) global PC leader.
2005 Lenovo completes the acquisition of IBM's Personal Computing Division, making it a new
international IT competitor and the third–largest personal computer company in the world.

Microsoft New Bottle
< New Wine in the Old Bottle> Case Analysis
To Break Old Bottle
Written by Helena
Course name: Creativity and Business Innovation
< New Wine in the Old Bottle> Case Analysis
To Break Old Bottle
Key Topics Covered In My Case Report
Problems Microsoft are suffering
Causes of Microsoft's problems
Actions Microsoft may take
Conclusion
The new CEO of Microsoft, Mr. Satya Nadella, is leading his big troop in a new developing
adventure, facing an array of issues. Its company flagship products, Windows operating system and
Office application products have enjoyed popularity for an era, but now they are being challenged
by new popular products based on mobile platform and are also ... Show more content on
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By then, Microsoft can't abandon its old business organizing method, not thinking about to develop
one unique operating system which is specific for smartphone. Actually if Microsoft can create one
new mobile operating system to suit its Windows Mobile at that time, and taking advantage of its
great power on operating system, it will be easy for Microsoft to capture the first–mover position.
It's a pity that Microsoft presented this priceless opportunity to Apple, After Windows Mobile,
Apple launched iPhone equipped by unique iOS operating system and made great success. A
company which is strong at operating system finally lost the opportunity on mobile because of its
operating system. Ironically, five years later after iOS launched, Microsoft finally launches its

specific smartphone operating system. But it is too late.
On online services, similar story happened again. Seven years after Google incorporated, Microsoft
built its own search engine–Bing which was dwarfed by Google in many ways later. And Bing and
its online advertising service representing its online service division became the company's only
losing product group.
Uncertainty on Integration of New Acquisition of Nokia
Microsoft has successful experience on acquisition and integration of software–related companies,
but till then, no any successful reference on acquisition of one non–software–related company.(3)
Especially, Nokia is also one big company with more

What, Historically, Have Been Apple's Competitive Advantages?
APPLE INC. 1. What, historically, have been Apple's competitive advantages? Apple pursues a
differentiation strategy since it started in 1976. Only one time they offered a computer aiming for
the mass market, but soon came back to their differentiation strategy. This differentiation strategy
was at one point supported by a strong promotion campaign, with the goal of to 'differentiate the
Macintosh amid intense competition in the PC industry. Apple has always been a very innovative PC
manufacturer. Through excellent R&D, Apple always managed to launch PC innovations on the
market. Although the products sometimes showed weaknesses, the innovative role still gave Apple a
lot of attention. Apple designed its products typically from scratch, ... Show more content on
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market. In addition, people could use and experience Apple´s software at the Apple retail store. In
any case Apple´s retail strategy was a huge success. 3) How sustainable is Apple's competitive
position in the PC's? The repositioning of the company in 2007, from Apple Computer to Apple Inc,
was a clear indication that the main focus was no longer attributed to the PC market. With this
change in prioritization, one could imagine that Apple's competitive position in regards to PC's
would be weakened, due to capital and R&D efforts being directed elsewhere. But this is not the
case. In fact, Apple's new broadened portfolio and "hub" strategy has only helped to fuel the PC
sales even more. This development boils down to several factors, including a strengthened brand
image that the new products have contributed to, and the success of the "ecosystem" that the
company has created around its products. Although Apple is now making its profits in many new
areas, the PCs still account for a great part of the total sales. The price for a MAC is relatively high
compared to the competition, and Apple is able to keep the price at that level because their PCs
serve the luxury end of the market. Many design conscious consumers prefer the MAC and this
niche strategy contributes to securing Apple's position. The company actually tried to introduce a
cheaper PC version, but this was not a success. One of the main

Dell Direct
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS STANFORD UNIVERSITY CASE NUMBER: EC–17
November 2000 DELL DIRECT1 In 1995, a manager from a leading Japanese computer company
was recounting his company's plans to conquer the US Personal Computer (PC) market: "We have a
strong brand name in consumer electronics, and what's most important, we build many of the
components that are needed in the PC ourselves: monitors, audio equipment, CD–ROM, DRAM,
and so on. This will give us a tremendous advantage over American competitors, who have to buy
everything outside" [1]. Several years later, it looks like the competitive weapon of this and other
Japanese electronics giants had misfired. Hitachi, Sony and Fujitsu have spent vast resources trying
to crack the US PC ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This New Computer Industry is largely based on a common silicon platform, upon which various
companies build a very standard computer platform, upon which you put systems software that is
largely common throughout the industry, upon which you sell packaged applications, applications
that you buy, like records or CDs, at a store. Whoever has a storefront, telephone or warehouse can
get into the distribution business.2 This horizontal structure enabled IBM–PC "clones" like Compaq,
a host of start–ups and established computer firms like Hewlett Packard to enter the market and
manufacture their 2 See Computer History Website http://gobi.stanford.edu/Computer_History/. by
Haim Mendelson and Anne Korin at 2 own, IBM–compatible PCs. The cutthroat competition
among PC makers shifted the bulk of the profits to two highly–concentrated industry "slices": the
operating system, where Microsoft had a virtual monopoly, and the microprocessor, which was
dominated by Intel. One of the manufacturers of IBM–PC "clones" was Dell. Dell: Birth and
Childhood (1983–1990) In 1983, Michael Dell was a college freshman, who upgraded IBM–
compatible PCs in his spare time in his dorm room at the University of Texas at Austin. Dell quickly
realized that instead of upgrading older machines, he could buy components and assemble the entire
PC more cheaply by himself. Then, he

Worldwide Network Security
MARKET ANALYSIS Worldwide Network Security 2012–2016 Forecast and 2011 Vendor Shares
John Grady
IDC OPINION
The worldwide network security market grew by 6.1% in 2011. The total market, which includes
firewall, unified threat management (UTM), intrusion detection and prevention (IDP), and virtual
private network (VPN) solutions, reached $7.4 billion in 2011. UTM revenue saw the strongest
growth at 17.4% and reached $2.2 billion. The IDP market saw more moderate growth at 4.5%,
reaching $1.9 billion. The firewall segment remained the largest component of the market at $2.4
billion but grew only a modest 2.9% over 2010. Revenue from standalone VPN solutions fell 5.3%
to $0.9 billion. IDC expects the firewall and VPN segments to remain ... Show more content on
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15 11 Key Forecast Assumptions for the Worldwide Network Security Market, 2012–2016
.................. 18 12 Worldwide Network Security Revenue, 2006–2016: Comparison of November
2011 and June 2012
Forecasts.................................................................................................................... 26
©2012 IDC
#235631
LIST OF FIGURES
P 1 2 Worldwide Network Security Revenue by Function, 2007–2016..................................................
14 Worldwide Network Security Revenue, 2006–2016: Comparison of November 2011 and June
2012 Forecasts.................................................................................................................... 27
#235631
©2012 IDC
IN THIS STUDY
This IDC study examines the worldwide network security market, including firewall, UTM, IDP,
and VPN solutions, from 2011 to 2016. It provides vendor revenue shares and market sizing for
2011 as well as market growth forecasts for 2012–2016.

Methodology
See the Methodology in the Learn More section for a description of the forecasting and analysis
methodology employed in this study. In addition, please note the following:  The information
contained in this study was derived from the IDC Worldwide Security Appliance Tracker as of
March 30, 2012.  All numbers in this document may not be exact due to rounding.  For more
information on IDC 's definitions and methodology, see IDC 's Worldwide Security Products

Case Study Example Apple
Case Study Assignment_ Decision Essay 1. Brief Summary of Case Apple Inc., which designs,
produces and famous for computers, MP3 players, phones, and tablets, is one of the largest and most
profitable companies in the world. The company was found in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve
Wozniak in Los Altos, California. At the beginning, Job's mission was to bring an easy–to–use
computer to the market, which led to the release of the Apple II in April 1978. After that, Apple
quickly became the industry leader and launched a successful IPO in 1980. In 1985, due to decline
of Apple's net income, Jobs was forces out and John Sculley started to lead this company. Sculley
pushed the Mac into new markets, most notably in desktop publishing and ... Show more content on
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iPad: 1. Until 2012, 55 million iPads had been sold; Apple had built another $35 billion business. 2)
Quit nonprofit and unpopular product (e.g. Mini iMac, Apple TV) and develop and introduce new
product Criteria Evidence Paltry sales Mac Mini: Apple's entry–level desktop, the $599 prices tag
did not come with a keyboard or a mouse. Consumers could buy other desktop with more functions
and faster performance at a lower price. Apple TV: its sales were paltry compared to Apple's other
products. These two products did not generate enough profit for Apple. Revenue 1. From the Exhibit
1a, Apple Inc. selected Financial Information, 1991 to 2012, we can see that the sales after 2001,
2008 and 2010 (when iPod, iPhone and iPad were introduced) achieved significant increasing, that
is because Apple introduced new produces to the market. According to this historical evidence, we
can expect that if Apple introduce new successful product to the market (eg. Apple Watcher,
iWatch), these new produce may generate more revenue for Apple. 2. For a few weeks during the
spring of 2012, Apple's market capitalization surpassed $600 billion, making it the most valuable
company in the history of the world. 3) Keep expanding new market such as China Reasons:
Criteria Evidence Consumer behavior In countries such as China, the iPhone was just taking off in
2012: even without subsidies, Chinese

Portable Pc : The Laptop Market
HaLim Kim
Mr. Wolfenden
Economics
17 November 2016
Portable PC – The Laptop Market Laptops, also known as notebook computers, are personal
computers which are deisnged to be portable, while keeping similar functions as desktops. The first
laptop, Osborne 1, was an 11 kg laptop with 5 inch screen, released in 1981 by the Osborne
Computer Corporation (History). Since 1981, the laptop industry have experienced a rapid growth,
now becoming one of the 'key industries' of the modern society (Chen). This paper investigates the
current laptop market by analyzing different companies, including Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and
Asus, which are the top 5 vendors of the market, along with one extra company, Microsoft, to find
out the current status of the laptop industry, and its future. To make the comparing process more
simple, this paper will focus on one laptop from each companies, with similar specifications. Apple,
referred as one of the most innovative companies in the 21st century, was founded by Steve Jobs,
Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976 (Rawlinson). They have entered the laptop market in
1989 with the product named 'Macintosh Portable'. As of November 2016, the Apple Inc. (AAPL)
has the greatest market capitalization value among all its competitors, which is 593.11 Billion USD.
Its P/E rate is 13.39, and the EPS is $8.31. Apple's laptops are named 'Macbook', with three different
models: Macbook Air, Macbook, and Macbook Pro. Macbook Air is a relatively lower end product

Dell Inc. Business Policy Paper
Introduction Dell Inc. is one of the world's largest information technology firms, serving individual
consumers as well as small businesses and large enterprises. The company manufactures and sells
PCs and related equipment, including network servers, printers, displays, projectors, and storage
systems. Founded from Michael Dell's dorm at the University of Texas in 1984 with a mere $1,000,
Dell's revenues have grown to approximately $61 billion in 2009. This stemmed primarily from a
direct–sales model and a well–managed supply chain, which provided Dell with significant
operating margin advantages over competitors. Despite its historic success and legacy, in recent
years Dell experienced difficulties in an evolving marketplace, which ... Show more content on
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Sustainable competitive advantage is limited since competitors quickly imitate others' successful
advances. For instance, all major manufacturers have implemented variations of direct sales and
efficient operations – Dell's main competitive advantages. Retaliation is prevalent, as well: when
Dell entered the printer business, HP severed its supplier contracts of printers, cameras, and scanners
with Dell.[ix] Thus, strategic actions are often undermined. Conclusion. While still one of the largest
in the world, the PC industry is clearly saturated. Four of the five forces affecting industry
profitability are high, lowering industry profitability and establishing an unfavorable environment
for existing players. To have success in the industry a company must rely on the following key
success factors: (1)value chain management, (2)management, (3)technological innovation,
(4)reliability and support, and (5)comprehensive product offerings. (For further detail refer to
Appendix E: Key Success Factors in the PC Industry)
Firm Strategy
Historically, Michael Dell's built–to–order concept – selling personal computers directly to
enterprises and government organizations as well as, to a lesser extent,

Cost Leadership Strategy for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
1. Wal–Mart Stores, Inc. and Wal–Mart 2007 Cost Leadership Strategy Wal–Mart Stores, Inc.
established a competitive advantage in providing consumer goods at lower prices than competitors
in the discount retailing industry. Wal–Mart's adoption of a cost leadership strategy attracted price
sensitive customers to purchase the lowest priced goods in the market. In order to buy in volume at
attractive prices, the company built their own warehouse to store an extensive range of products
upholding Wal–Mart's sustainable competitive advantage. This allowed the cost of goods sold
amount to three–quarters of discounting revenues, reducing its cost of operations in exchange for
larger market share and higher profits (HBS, 3). The strategy attracted masses of consumers
providing a no frill service by achieving higher economies of scale at the same time maximizing
sales volume and inventory turnover, while minimizing expenses. Wal–Mart gained a sustainable
competitive advantage in their ability to keep prices lower than competitors because of their
accumulated lower cost per unit fixed costs allowing the store to benefit from the economies of
scale. Risk of Consumer Buying Power The risk with offering the lowest market prices is the
uncertainty of price sensitive customers in the market and their ignorance of cheapest prices due to
Wal–Mart's lack of advertising efforts increasing switching costs to competitors. Another risk

Microsoft Executive Summary
1 Executive Summary
After the successful acquisition of Yahoo!, Microsoft has increased its share on the internet search
market and become market leader in web–service subscribers. However, it is still far behind Google
in the searching advertising market.
Although Google is by far the leading power in search advertising today, internet search technology
is still in its infancy and there are much room for improvement. Microsoft shall invest on the R & D
research of search technology and the integration of search with its current products. Meanwhile, it
shall also invest in the fast growing display advertising market.
Advancement in technology has enable internet to become a platform in its own right. This brings
about the rise of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A very interesting point to be made here is: in each of this battle, Microsoft wasn't the technological
leader in respective sector and wasn't providing the best solution. In the "Browser War", it
successfully attacked Netscape's business model by bundling Internet Explore on Windows for free.
In other two cases, it managed to provide products that were "good enough" and were easier to be
used as default tools on its dominating Windows operating system[7][8].
Microsoft has also established signification presence in sectors such as web based services, server
software, enterprise database management system, software development tools and game console.
Since 2003, Microsoft has been trying to establish itself as a major player in internet search engine.
However, its effort so far has not been successful. Google has been the run away leader in internet
searching since the early years of 21st century, leading Microsoft's Live Search and Yahoo! by large
margins. In 2008, Microsoft acquired Yahoo! in a bid to close the gap on this particular sector.
Microsoft's tactics in establishing dominance in the IT industry is often a matter of concern for
governments. Both the U.S. and E.U. governments have high profile and long running anti–trust
suits against Microsoft. In both cases Microsoft was accused of abusing its monopoly power in its
handling of

Acer Swot Analysis/Pest Analysis
1 Background to Acer Acer is a global force in the IT market. The company's goal (September 2009)
is to become the world's number one netbook vendor. Acer was founded by Stan Shih and his wife,
with a group of fi ve others, as Multitech in 1976. The company was renamed Acer in 1987. It began
with eleven employees and US$25,000 in capital. Initially, it was primarily a distributor of
electronic parts and a consultant in the use of microprocessor technologies, but over time it began to
develop as a PC manufacturer. The global headquarters are located in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. Acer
began its entry into laptops with the purchase of the mobile PC division of Texas Instruments in
1997. In 2000, Acer divested its manufacturing operations in order ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
We believe that Acer's easy–to–use, dependable and reliable products and services have enabled the
world to get access to the opportunity for sustainable development. We dedicate ourselves to
providing advanced products with higher environmental value. Acer will 'walk the talk' on CSR by
means of a top–down process, and will dedicate itself to being a global PC and IT player which
embeds CSR as a key priority. Acer recognises our infl uential power to engage suppliers to work
together for improving the resource effi ciency of IT products. We believe that Acer will
continuously create value and competitive advantage by the timely integration of sustainability and
CSR into its business agenda and through our ability to practically and ecoeffi ciently transform our
unique understanding of business and sustainability into a comprehensive selection of innovative
solutions. CS1210 4 5 Strategies Acer has several key strategies, one of which is to be very
acquisitive, as APPENDICES 1 and 2 demonstrate. There is a clear sense of purpose and a proven
record of successfully integrating the new acquisitions. "We conducted in–depth research and defi
ned a new multi–brand strategy: Acer, Gateway, eMachines and Packard Bell each have clear brand
positioning by geography and customer segment and with differentiated product line design." (From
Acer Annual Report.) The multi–brand strategy

Essay about Apple Inc. in 2012
Apple Inc. in 2012
[Group] Case Study
Prepared By:
Aman Chahal
Edward Abeleven
Ruchi Badhwar
Steven Mathews
Uttara Jadhav
Students of:
Marketing Management 6215
California State University – East Bay
Prepared For:
Lan Wu
Professor of:
Marketing Management 6215
California State University – East Bay
October 11, 2012
Table of Contents
Introducing Marketing and Apple Inc..........................................................................1
Understanding The Micro Marketing Environment.....................................................2
For Apple's Mac Computers
Apple's Sustainability Position in Competitive PC Market.........................................5

Apple's Sustainability ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Micro marketing environment plays an important and crucial role in Mac's line of success.
The Company:
"A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We
chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers,
they would continue to open their wallets."
– Steve Jobs, Apple CEO & Founder
The sales of Mac had hit bottom–line in 1996 (APPENDIX A). Lower sales increased inventory.
Apple was on the verge of being bankrupt. In 1997, Apple reduced their inventory and started
making major investments in the R&D department to focus on developing innovative products
that would appeal to consumers. Apple also acquired Jobs' owned software company, NeXT. Apple
developers modified the Unix–based code from NEXTSTEP and combined it with the graphical user
interface of existing Mac OS. The result was a stable, high–performance operating system that had
the stability of Unix and the intuitive interface of the Macintosh. Apple's iMac was distinguished
because it could act as a hub for controlling and integrating the digital devices such as cameras,
portable music and mobile phones.
Intermediaries:
"It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy."
– Steve Jobs, Apple CEO & Founder
Apple realized the power of direct marketing and launched their online shopping website. This
website showcased their new designed and high performing iMac. This

Global Equity Research Telecommunications Equipment
12 April 2012 Global Equity Research Telecommunications Equipment
Smartphones 2012
Research Analysts Kulbinder Garcha 212 325 4795 kulbinder.garcha@credit–suisse.com Deepak
Sitaraman, CFA 212 325 5808 deepak.sitaraman@credit–suisse.com Achal Sultania 44 20 7883
6884 achal.sultania@credit–suisse.com Alban Gashi 212 538 3033 alban.gashi@credit–suisse.com
Talal Khan 212 325 8603 talal.khan@credit–suisse.com Matthew Cabral 212 538 6260
matthew.cabral@credit–suisse.com Vlad Rom 212 325 5442 vlad.rom@credit–suisse.com
INDUSTRY PRIMER
Growth robust...time to think compute
Raising smartphone estimates. We raise our global smartphone market forecast by 9%/15% to
688mn/885mn units (46%/29% growth) in 2012/2013, driven strength in both ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
U.S. Disclosure: Credit Suisse does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research
reports. As a result, investors should be aware that the Firm may have a conflict of interest that
could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor
in making their investment decision.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
12 April 2012
Table of contents
Executive summary Raising smartphone estimates Forecasting smartphones based on TCO Linking
our TCO analysis to the addressable market Smartphone volumes to grow at CAGR of 26% Price
point work also shows 1.1bn units long term Significant growth being seen in the low end A specific
growth opportunity within China LTE could be a game changer Improving device availability LTE
speeds could drive new services Coverage expansion of LTE networks Aggressive rollout plans in
US and China An upgrade cycle like none before A war of ecosystems..... Apple – the iOS and Mac
ecosystem Google/Android – a one trick pony? Windows 8 – what about the upgrade cycle?
Developer dynamics are critical Smartphone economics Carriers have seen margin pressure
Smartphone economics What can carriers do? Smartphones – winners and losers Apple scope for
share gains exist on multiple fronts Samsung – a strong second Nokia – heading for third position in

smartphones Multiple Android vendors may struggle HTC – still bleeding share Motorola
Mobility/Google – losing steam in the US Sony – change of

Apple Case Study
1. Historically, what were Apple 's major competitive advantages? Apple were a very successful
company at maintaining competitive advantage over its main competitors, this success can be
analysed in more detail using Porter 's five forces model which is broken into: 1. The threat of
substitute products 2. The threat of the entry of new competitors 3. The intensity of competitive
rivalry 4. The bargaining power of customers 5. The bargaining power of suppliers These are the
five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. The
threat of substitute products Lev Grossman once commented that, "Apple is essentially operating its
own closed miniature techno–economy." In other words Apple ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This had become a steady trend since the inception of the PC industry in the mid 1970s. IBM are
recognised as being the company who brought the PC to the mainstream and made it more
affordable to the everyday user. For this reason the IBM brand became closely associated with
quality products and retained a sizeable proportion of the market in the early 1980s. People were so
drawn to IBM that they were reluctant to purchase product clones for fear of inferiority. These
trends grew until an estimated 900 million PCs were in use worldwide in 2005. IBM began to lose
its dominant grip on the market in the late 1980 's and its "IBM–compatible" standard, which was
seen as being the best there was, was replaced by "Wintel" (Windows operating system with Intel
processors). Markets for PCs such as the Asian market began to flourish and the average price of a
PC actually fell from $1,699 in 1999 to $1,034 in 2005. From a manufacturing point of view the PC
is made up of four main components, a microprocessor, a motherboard, memory storage and
peripherals such as a keyboard, mouse etc. Therefore anybody with any bit of manufacturing
knowledge could build a PC. This is mainly due to the fact that PC components have become
increasingly standardised, in turn the leading PC manufacturers slashed their R&D budgets from 5%
to 1%. Companies such as Dell, instead, opted to invest their money in other areas such as
marketing etc. to give them a competitive edge. Outsourcing

Swot Analysis of Dell
Table of Contents PART II: SWOT ANALYSIS 2 INTRODUCTION 2 STRENGTHS 2
WEAKNESS 4 OPPORTUNITIES 5 THREATS 6 REFERENCES 8 PART II: SWOT ANALYSIS1,
2, 3, 4 Assessment of Environment of Company INTRODUCTION Dell is one of the leading
Computer hardware and software providing company. It offers a broad range of products and
services. Products include desktop PCs, servers, networking products, storage, mobility products,
software, peripherals and services include technical IT support, IT infrastructure development and
consultation. Dell has been a pioneer of e– commerce as it was one of the first leading companies
who extensively used internet to interact with its customer, suppliers and partners to build a strong
e–commerce ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
WEAKNESS1 * Relatively weak Research and Development * Lower Margins compared to
Competitors * Significant exposure to declining PC market Dell's research and development wing is
relatively poor in developing new products or in investment for research purposes. According to
Data Monitor report Dell has relatively weak research, development and engineering (R&D)
capabilities compared to its major competitors. The company 's R&D spending has been lower
than its competitors. Dell 's R&D expenses were $661 million, $624 million respectively,
during financial year 2011 and financial year 2010. By contrast, its main competitors such as HP
reported R&D spending of $3,000 million and $2,800 million in financial year 2010 and 2009;
and IBM reported R&D spending of $6,026 million and $5,820 million, respectively, in
financial year 2010 and 2009. Furthermore, the company 's R&D spending as percentage of
total revenues was 1.1% in financial year 2010, compared to HP (2.4%), and IBM (6%) (Data
Monitor report). These numbers shows that Dell is lacking inputting impetus to its R&D wing
which may impact its growth in highly competitive, rapidly changing and dynamic technology
market. As a result Dell has significantly less number of patents than it competitor like HP and IBM.
At the end of financial year 2011,

The Term Of Emerging Market Economy
Introduction
The term of emerging market economy(EME) was coined by Antonie W. Van Agtmael from the
international finance corporation of the World Bank in 1981. It refers to country with an
underdeveloped industrial base and infrastructure but with a rapid growth rate even more than the
developed countries. In addition, emerging market is often unstable in politics and institution, as
well as continued demographic growth in some extent. (Tarun Khanna, 2010)
Lenovo is a Chinese multinational technology company with headquarters in Beijing, China. It is the
world's largest PC vendor and one of the world's leading smart phone companies listing on the
Fortune 500 list that having major research and manufacturing centers over the world.
Analysis of Emerging Market where the company is based
Emerging markets is a relative concept of countries in Western Europe, North America, as well as
Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other such "mature market." Emerging market countries are
those who have the potential to become a mature market countries, and part of the conditions, with
the commercial market mechanisms that is industrial based and to a certain extent of specification.
According to the authoritative definition of the international finance corporation, whenever the
Gross National Product (GNP) of the country has not reached the level of high– income countries
delineated by the World Bank, the stock market in this country is an emerging market. The four
largest emerging

Lenovo Financial Paper
Financial Analysis
Lenovo Group Limited
CONTENT I. Introduction 3 1. Background 3 2. Nature of business 8 3. Description of
product/services 9 4. Current Revenue size and Profit 12 5. Major Market Served 15 6. Ownership
16 7. Other relevant basic information 17 8. Company`s business strategy 21 II. Analysis of
Company Performance 21 1. Company Growth 21 2. Financial ratios 23 3. Liquidity 23 4. Leverage
25 5. Profitability – Dupont Analysis 26 6. Fiscal Fitness Alman's z–score 27 III. Analysis of
Company`s Value Creation 28 IV. FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS 31 1. Assumptions 31 2. Forecast
Balance sheet of Lenovo 2013–2015 32 3. Forecast Income Statement of Lenovo ... Show more
1995 IBM PCD introduces the "butterfly" keyboard.IBM PCD moves from Boca Raton, Florida, to
Raleigh, North Carolina. Legend introduces the first Legend–brand server.
1996 Legend becomes the market share leader in China for the first time.Legend introduces the first
Legend brand laptop.
1997 IBM PCD introduces the industry's first notebook equipped with a DVD–ROM, the ThinkPad
770.Legend signs an Intellectual Property agreement with Microsoft, the most valuable deal ever
made in China at the time.
1998 IBM PCD introduces the industry's first Think Light, a small light that illuminates the
keyboard in low–light work environments, such as onboard an airplane. The millionth Legend PC
comes off the production line. Intel Chairman Andy Grove attends the ceremony, and takes the PC
for Intel's museum collection. Legend establishes the first Legend Shop.
1999 IBM PCD introduces the industry's first mini–notebook, weighing less than three pounds, with
standard ports and a keyboard that is 95 percent of full–size.
IBM PCD announces its exit from the retail business.
IBM PCD introduces the industry's first PC with an embedded security chip.
Legend becomes the top PC vendor in the Asia–Pacific region and heads the Chinese national Top
100 Electronic Enterprises ranking.
Legend launches pioneering Internet PC, with its "one–touch–to–the–net" feature, which enables
millions of Chinese PC users to easily access the Internet.
2000 IBM PCD ships

The Apple 's Competitive Strategy Essay
Stephen Woziniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer in 1976, which was called the Apple I,
then in year 1978 just two years after, Apple II was introduced. More than 10,000 units were sold
which relatively was a success, Macintosh (Mac), which dramatically change personal computer.
iMac, iBook, iPod, iPad, iPhone, and other come from the lineage of Apple. Even though Apple has
encountered many setbacks, it continues to bring new and improve products to the market. Apple's
competitive strategy has been innovation. They have made an extraordinary effort developing,
implementing, and executing its very unique strategy through innovation which has resulted in new
product, and the enrichment of the existing ones. More specifically, Apple attempts to meet and
supply the needs of a global market, by offering eager and enthusiastic consumers with innovated
and high–quality products and services. Apple has employed a differentiation strategy linked to
innovation with its three core products (computers, personal media player, mobile phones, tablets
and other accessories). A key piece of their strategy involves meeting the needs of the converging
digital electronics and computer markets. Apple has elected to implement its strategy by designing
and developing proprietary operating systems and software technologies, thus allowing for strict
protection of its intellectual rights. Apple's strategy has evolved as technology does. At the
beginning, Apple focused on the computer industry

What Are The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Dell
SWOT
Strength Weaknesses
1. Brand name valued at $7.5 billion
2. Product customization
3. Environmental record
4. Competency in mergers and acquisitions
5. Direct selling business model
6. Market headship
7. Direct sales strategy
8. Price on performance basis
9. User friendly websites
10. Most up–to–date technology
11. The business model of dell which focuses on a built to order framework where the middleman is
removed and PCs are sold directly to the end buyer
12. Strong strength of sales strategy through a variety of mediums ranging from conventional to e–
commerce
13. Elimination of the mark ups added by the reselling party through the direct sales to end buyer
resulting in lower costs to consumer without cutting down margins for Dell
14. Reliability ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It helps in understanding the strong points of the company in the marketplace against its
competitors, suppliers, and consumers. The relationship of Porter's five forces model has been
explored here accompanying the report.
Rivalry against existing competitors:
The industry comprises players like Dell, IBM, HP, Toshiba, Gateway etc. The rivalry in the market
is based on cost and competitive benefit.
Threat of new entrants:
Every company tries its maximum to beat and do better than competitors by producing the most
recent technology and then price them competitively. Most likely, this is the rationale that new
companies find it very tough to enter the market and the existing challengers try their level best to
either sustain their market.
Bargaining power of Buyers:
In the private computer industry the bargaining power of the buyer is very soaring due to the fact
that there is very less degree of brand reliability in the market because most of the producer
produced alike products. In addition to deficiency of brand reliability, the switching cost is very less

in the industry because most of the systems are based on the Intel processor.
Bargaining power of

Esri
ESRI CASE STUDY 1. Of the three types of uncertainty that characterize high–tech markets, which
type is ESRI experiencing most acutely? Elaborate and provide strategic implications for ESRI. a)
In this case, I think the ESRI suffer the most in the technology uncertainty. i. Concerns over
obsolescence. Technology is evolved extremely rapidly with the relevant elements develop
simultaneously and interactively. Microsoft and Google integrate PC, Broadband Internet
connection and powerful search engines together to offer virtual globes service which challenge the
traditional industry model of market segmentation. As the world's leading vendor of DIS system
software, ESPI faced severe challenge of new innovation and products. The ... Show more content
b) In my opinion, ESRI face very severe challenges bring by the disruptive technologies. i. New
innovation came out with bulk of relevant advanced technologies, and gradually absorbed
considerable customers and occupied a big market. That what Google earth did and had already put
a great threat to existing GIS. The new virtual globe has leaded the GIS industry into a new ear and
changes the situation of GIS from professional use to mass entertainment. 4. Should ESRI explicitly
target the new GIS customer (mainstream, nonprofessional, low–end)? If so, what organizational
changes might this require? a) Personally, I think due to the great market potential, ESRI should
target this group of internet users as further customer. The internet users among the world increase
sharply as the rapid popularity of PC and internet, thus, the great potential of the mass market can
not been ignored, otherwise, the market share of professional software will be reduced as the
development of competitors. b) Organization Changes. The company's value network, business
model and particularly the organization structure need to change to adapt to the new market. ESRI
organization structure need to be more decentralized, with fluid job responsibilities and extensive
lateral communication processes. Members

Microsoft Versus the Department of Justice Essay
Microsoft Versus the Department of Justice
In today's high–tech ultra–fast paced world, there can be no debate as to the importance of personal
computers. Personal Computers control virtually every aspect of our daily lives. Businesses,
regardless of their size, have local area networks, company Intranets and high–speed wide area
networks. Billing, inventory and invoicing would be impossible without help from our Personal
Computers. Stocks, bonds and commodities are traded in the markets around the world entirely by
computer. The Banking industry relies enormously on Personal Computers for every transaction.
Communicating without email, fax transmissions and other forms of computer aided information
transfers would be ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This crafty marketing spites the entire concept of competition. It handcuffs the PC hardware
manufacturers, who are compelled to submissively promote the Microsoft product line on each and
every computer they sell. This is clearly a handicap to third party software vendors like Corel and
Adobe. This practice also hurts the consumer by limiting personal choices. Even though there may
be far superior products on the market, the PC manufacturing companies are legally obligated to
only include Microsoft products.
In 1985 Apple Computer was forced into licensing some of their user interface elements to
Microsoft, for incorporation into Windows version 1.0. This license was granted only after
Microsoft threatened to discontinue development of Macintosh applications. Microsoft was the
leading developer of Mac programs, and without their software, Apple would have been doomed to
bankruptcy. Apple had no choice but to give in to Microsoft's demands.
Microsoft also threatened three computer companies over Internet browser contracts. Compaq,
Gateway and Micron computers wanted to replace Microsoft's Internet Explorer with another World
Wide Web browser. Not only did Microsoft say no, but court records filed in Washington D.C. stated
that Microsoft threatened manufacturers seeking to remove its

Essay about Apple Inc. a 30 Year Business Strategy
Apple Inc. A 30 year business strategy A response to Harvard Business School Case Study 9–708–
480 Apple Inc., 2008 Abstract Apple's fundamental business model has not changed since it first
began business in the late 1980's. While being a leader in innovation, Apple has consistently
produced proprietary hardware and software, eventually leading to a loss of market share in any
particular market they have ventured into. Even though it has learned from some mistakes, Apple's
actions in the past few years have not shown a change from the core reasons for its failures and
unless new actions are taken its current market lead will eventually dwindle. This analysis will look
at the various stages of the Life Cycle of Apple, what type ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The result being that the Average Selling Price of a PC dropped from $1699 in 1999 to $1034 in
2005 (Yoffie, pg 7). The initial years of the PC were marketed at business, which explains the
continued success of IBM in this market during that period. There was little competition since the
business buyer wanted support from established channels and there was little threat of new entrants.
Once the PC became targeted at smaller businesses and home consumers, this opened the door such
that the main driver became initial cost and new entrants could easily become a competitive force.
Components for PCs became increasingly standardized. As is common with commodities, R&D
decreased and a focus on innovations in manufacturing and distribution became a key to success.
Dell's model of supplier driven manufacturing and HP's model of distribution channels show the
success of these ideas. Since the 90s, the PC has been driven by the bargaining power of buyers and
their widely varied desires. Taiwan based Acer is an example of a PC manufacturer which modeled
its business after current trends. Since 2007 it has shifted focus from desktops to laptops. In
addition, because of the large number of potential suppliers to PC distributors, intense competition
was created for almost all components of the PC. The

Apple Inc. in 2010
[pic]
9–710–467
APRIL 13, 2010
DAVID B. YOFFIE RENEE KIM
Apple Inc. in 2010
On April 4, 2010, Apple Inc. launched its eagerly anticipated iPad amid great hype. The multimedia
computer tablet was the third major innovation that Apple had released over the last decade. CEO
Steve Jobs had argued that the iPad was another revolutionary product that could emulate the
smashing success of the iPod and the iPhone. Expectations ran high. Even The Economist displayed
the release of the iPad on its magazine cover with Jobs illustrated as a biblical figure, noting that,
"The enthusiasm of the Apple faithful may be overdone, but Mr. Jobs's record suggests that when he
blesses a market, it takes off."1
The company started off as "Apple ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It sparked a computing revolution that drove the PC industry to $1 billion in annual sales in less than
three years.5 Apple quickly became the industry leader, selling more than 100,000 Apple IIs by the
end of 1980. In December 1980, Apple launched a successful IPO.
Apple's competitive position changed fundamentally in 1981 when IBM entered the PC market. The
IBM PC, which used Microsoft's DOS operating system (OS) and a microprocessor (also called a
CPU) from Intel, was a relatively "open" system that other producers could clone. Apple, on the
other hand, practiced horizontal and vertical integration. It relied on its own proprietary designs and
refused to license its hardware to third parties.
IBM PCs not only gained more market share, but they also emerged as the new standard for the
industry. Apple responded by introducing the Macintosh in 1984. The Mac marked a breakthrough
in ease of use, industrial design, and technical elegance. However, the Mac's slow processor speed
and lack of compatible software limited sales. Apple's net income fell 62% between 1981 and 1984,
sending the company into a crisis. Jobs, who was often referred to as the "soul" of the company, was
forced out in 1985.6 The boardroom coup left John Sculley, the executive whom Jobs had actively
recruited from Pepsi–Cola for his marketing skills, alone at the helm.

The Sculley Years, 1985–1993
Sculley pushed the Mac into new markets, most notably in desktop

Dell Inc. in 2008: Can It Overtake Hewlett-Packard as the...
Dell Inc. in 2008: Can it overtake Hewlett–Packard as the Worldwide Leader in Personal
Computers? Dell is a global company that delivers products and services in more than 190 countries
and over 40000 employees who live and work on six continents. The company deals in enterprise
computing products, desktops, monitors, printers, notebooks, handhelds, software and peripherals
with a focus on fully integrated improved environmental performance into business. The company
had gone through many ups and down from its inception in 1984 and has to face many challenges
and competitions to stay ahead in the market (Kolter and Lee, 2008). This paper strategically
discusses the fall and rise of Dell Inc from 2007 to 2008 and to compare Dells ... Show more content
Dell products received over 400 awards relating to design, quality and innovation in 2007 while
generating revenues of $61.1 billion with profits of $3 billion, majority of being generated through
sales of personal computers at $19.6 billion. Resource Based View Approach Dell's strategy
constitutes of four tenets to delivering superior customer value by selling direct to customers
eliminating wholesale and retail dealer, allowing customer to built custom built product to meet the
consumer's need, highly efficient supply chain and manufacturing organization, and by delivering
added value to customers. Dell Inc follows resource based view (RBV) strategy as it tries to achieve
a competitive advantage over its rivals by using the

Revitalizing dell
Situation Statement Dell Computer Corporation was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. From the
early 1990s until the mid–2000s, Dell was ranked as a PC market leader relying on their distinctive
marketing pattern "Direct Model" which undertook direct communication with customers and
provided customized products. Recently, the PC industry is facing inconceivable worldwide
competition, and Dell is gradually losing their competitive advantages by using its direct model in
critical business segments. The company is facing shrinkage of growth, increasing competition,
declining quality of customer service, and limitation of expansion. These issues have an enormous
impact on Dell's position as a technological giant in the PC industry. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Dell positioned itself as a successful differentiator; however, its competitive differentiation is no
longer an advantage for it due to the ease of their Direct Model imitation. Home and corporate users
dominate the five categories of buyers on PC consumption. There are large amounts of these buyers
in the market that are price sensitive and have low switching costs on their products which raises
overall buyers' power. However, in the case of Dell, many customers became frustrated with Dell.
For example, Dell's call centers received manyf discouraged clients' comments. One reason: many
service representatives were trained to solve only one category of a problem, so almost 45% of calls
had to be transferred from the agent who answered the call to someone with the knowledge needed
to help the customer. Richard L. Hunter, who was brought in to improve Dell's customer service,
called the situation "terrible", explaining that it was comparable to "delivering materials to the
wrong factory 45 percent of the time." Worse, to slow the tide of calls from customers, Dell tried
removing its toll–free service number from its website. Customers' reactions showed up in Dell's
declining market share and slumping customer satisfaction ratings (Certo, 2013). Moreover, when
Dell went on to expand its tech support outsourcing with other call centres in India, customers began
complaining. Consequently, Dell stopped being perceived as an American role

Dell Computer Corporation – Strategy and Challenges for...
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATIION | Strategy and Challenges for the 21st Century | | Table of
Contents INTRODUCTION 4 1.1PC and Laptops – Cash Cow 6 1.2 Storage Solutions – Cash Cow
6 1.3 Servers and Networking – Cash Cows 7 1.4 Services – Dogs 7 1.5 Peripheral –
Dogs...................................................................................................7 2. ANSOFF'S GROWTH
MATRIX 8 2.1 Market Penetration ...............................................................................................9 2.2
Market Development..........................................................................................10 2.3 Product ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The BCG analysis is executed using information we gathered from sources such as Gartner, Reuters,
Dell corporate web–site, and some industrial reports (Please note that the references can be found in
the appendices). We have classified DELL's Strategic Business Units as follow 1.1PC and Laptops –
Cash Cow DELL's PC and laptops business have strong market share in the United States and is fast
gaining market share worldwide with a double–digit growth rate in countries such as India and
China. DELL is ranked the world's number two PC maker with a market share of 13.7 percent for
the 2nd quarter of the year 2009, according to the industry tracker IDC. Due to the recent global
economic downturn, DELL posted a 22% decline in PC revenue, which made up to about 60% of
DELL's overall revenue (Source: Reuters 7/10/2009 – Appendix 1.1). PC and laptops are DELL's
core businesses. DELL's PC business continues to grow in Asia and the focus will be in China and
India for the next few years. 1.2 Storage Solutions – Cash Cow Although DELL's storage business
contributes to a small percentage of its total revenue, it has a market share of 9.2% market share and
is ranked number 4 in the storage solution business.

Ibm : The New Era Of The Technology Industry And At The...
Background
Founded in June 1911, IBM has always been a leading company in the technology industry and at
the forefront of innovation. It is a manufacturer of computer hardware and software, and also
provides infrastructure, hosting and consulting services. Before the 2000s, IBM was the largest PC
vendor in the world. However, the hardware sales have continually declined since 2000, and IBM
sold its PC group to Lenovo in 2004, as well as its x86 Server Business in 2014. In the new era of
the technology industry, IBM has faced the challenge to transit from a hardware manufacturer to a
service company.
IBM has weaknesses in the transformation of its business model. It is lack of flexibility in the
transition because of its large company ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
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Benefits
Our company is a leading consulting firm in the various industries, especially in the technology
industry. The members in our team are experts in corporate strategy and have worked with plenty of
clients from the software industry to services. We can bring real world experience to the table and
provide invaluable prospective regardless of your current stage of business development.
The expected outcomes as follows will be achieved from our realistic and flexible Action Plan,
which focuses on addressing the issues like innovation, growth and expansion.

1. Stronger market research and targeting.
2. More distinct scope of future

The External Competitive Environment at Lenova
Introduction
The proper planning and execution of strategy is crucial for any company to develop, especially
when the industry is extremely competitive or volatile. Industry evolution brings change in sources
and nature of competition (Porter 1979). This essay will analyse the external competitive
environment and critically evaluate the strategies employed by Lenovo, a Chinese technological
corporation, in dealing with the overall declining trend of the PC (personal computer) market.
Case study overview
Recent years saw the worldwide PC market growth rate undergoing a drastic plummet (Arthur
2013). The latest statistics from market research firm Gartner, showed an 8.6 percent decline in PC
sales in the third quarter of 2013, with shipments dipping for sixth consecutive quarters (Hachman
2013). This trend underscored challenges confronting PC manufacturers as customers favour mobile
devices such as tablet computers and smartphones.
After suffering a US$226 million loss in 2008, Lenovo attempted to improve its profitability
through innovation and efficiency by initiating the Protect and Attack strategy in 2009, which aimed
to guard its core PC business and strived to compete in emerging markets with high levels of growth
(Lenovo 2010). In response to the recent decline in PC sales, Lenovo placed emphasis in executing
the Protect and Attack strategy by evolving and innovating its product portfolio, conducting strategic
acquisitions and implementing novel marketing schemes.

Indian Laptop Industry
A
Strategic management Report
On
The Laptop Industry in India
By: Abhishek Dutta
Ayush Palod
Amit Jha
Aditya Patnaik
Debanjan Roy
Kanwardeep Singh
Mukesh Lohan
Pallavi Arora
Ravinder Pal Singh
Shantanu Sinha
Sujay Kher
Somdipto Ghosh
A brief Introduction on the Laptop Industry of India
Computers
One industry which continues to hold its head high even in an environment of industrial slowdown
is information technology (IT) – with annual growth rates of software value hovering between 20%
and 30%. Growth rates for the industry earlier were as high as 40% to 60%. The soft–ware industry
is supported, on the one hand, by the hardware industry – computers, peripherals and components,
and on the other, by IT–related services. Software exports ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The high income segment of consumer household recorded a 21% growth in demand and continued
to dominate the market with 55% share in the overall household segment. The middle level segment
registered a 16% growth in sales and accounted for 29% in the segment. Households in the
relatively low income bracket posted a decline in its share. Sales in this segment declined by14%.
World computer chip leader, Intel, unveiled a new processor designed to turn a personal computer
into a living room multimedia centre. Intel also announced new ventures with other electronics
producers, including Microsoft and content vendors to give a richer Internet content experience.
Intel was expected to launch small, affordable laptops for students, called 'Eduwise' in the Indian

market by earlier of 2008. Eduwise does not have a hard drive. It has a flash memory and can be
networked through the Internet and through wired or wireless network. Eduwise is expected to cost
less than USD 400. Intel, which invested USD 700 mn in India over the past few years, has plans to
invest over a in India towards R&D and other investments.
Apple is expected to unveil the first Mac–based on Intel processors. Apple recently added some
Media Centre–like capabilities to its iMac line with a programme, called Front Row. Big Apple
Manufacturing has sold about 1300 computers priced at around Rs 7000 in about nine months. All
the hardware features are

Pros And Cons Of Linux
INTRODUCTION WHAT IS OPERATING SYSTEM The operating system is the most important
program that runs on a computer system.. Every general–purpose computer must have an operating
system to run other programs and application. Computer operating systems perform very basic
tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the screen keeping track of
files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as printers. For large
systems, the operating system has even greater responsibilities and powers. It is like a traffic cop it
makes sure that different programs and users running at the same time do not interfere with each
other. The operating system is also responsible for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not
access the system. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Command lines only accept textual commands that must be typed by hand, and are often too
complicated for novice users. PROS OF LINUX 1. Price: Linux is F–R–E–E. You can download it,
install it, use it, modify it. 2. Variety: Linux is not a full operating system. It is just a kernel. To use
the kernel, additional software needs to be bundled with Linux. Several hundreds of these bundles
(called "distributions" ) exist. The most popular ones include Mint and 3. Fedora. The good thing is,
with so many different variety of Linux, there is always one to suit your needs 4. Viruses: Although
being more vulnerable to viruses than Mac (because it is open source), Linux still has very, very,
very few viruses CONS OF LINUX 1. Complicated: Although some distributions are quite easy to
use, most of them will required a good deal of computer knowledge in order to get them to work. 2.
Compatibility: Like Mac, representing only a few percents of the market share, Linux does not have
as many programs and games as

harvard case apple
Case summary
Apple Inc. in 2012
Apple and its History Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple in California in 1976. Their
mission was to introduce an easy to use computer to market, which led to a computing revolution
and quickly became the industry leader by selling more than 100,000 Apple IIs in 1980. After IBM
entered PC market, IBM PCs, which used Microsoft's DOS (OS), gained more market share and
became the new standard for the PC industry. At the same time, Apple introduced the Macintosh in
1984. However, Apple's net income fell 62% due to the Mac's slow processor speed and lack of
software limited sales. In 1985, Steve Jobs was forced out and John Sculley took charge of the Mac.
Under the direction of Sculley, Apple ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
First, Apple introduced a new OS in 2001. Second, Apple shifted to Intel chips and by the following
year all Macintosh line ran on Intel making laptops run faster for less power. The third strategy was
the development of proprietary set of applications. The fourth strategy in becoming the "digital hub"
was to come up with a new distribution strategy: the Apple retail store, where customers can have a
direct use and experience of Apple's product and software. Moving Beyond Macintosh
The shifted new strategy of Apple was initiated by the release of iPod in 2001, followed by the
iPhone in 2007, then by iPad in 2012. It was the iPod that brought significant growth in Apple.
Initially, the iPod was just another MP3 but soon became the icon of the digital age due to its sleek
design and user friendly interface. Moreover, iPod could sync with Windows as well as a Mac and
offered accessory markets. Soon enough all the competitor in MP3 market had to face the challenge
of consumers comparing their model with iPod. However, the greatest challenge that the competitors
had to face was the introduction of iTunes store.
The two features that brought comparative advantage were iTunes desktop software which
synchronized iPods with computers and iTunes music store. With these two features Apple became
the entertainment hub. The launch of iTunes store had a huge impact on the sales of iPod. After the
launch of iTunes, sales of iPod increased from 78,000 to 304,000 units in one

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