Dell does big business well, Apple does tablets well; so who will do business tablets best?
Dell Chief Executive Michael Dell said Thursday the Round Rock, Texas company is building a business-friendly alternative to Apple’s iPad for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 software.
“Having a secure Windows tablet that works with all the Windows applications -- we’re hearing a lot of demand for that and we think that will be quite attractive,” Dell told Bloomberg television.
Snark this one up if you must, commenters. All I have to do is look down at the keyboard of my company-issued laptop to find proof that Dell knows how to get to the IT guys who make business spending decisions. Can Dell slow the iPad juggernaut with a business tablet built around Windows 8?
Dell said his company will begin selling machines with Microsoft’s new software “on the exact day,” Microsoft makes it available.
Both Dell and Apple are distancing themselves from the personal computer business, with worldwide fourth quarter PC sales down 1.4% from the year-ago quarter, according to Gartner.
On Wednesday, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook called the company’s new iPad tablet computer the “poster child,” for the “post-PC world.” Last week Dell said Dell “isn’t really a PC company,” as he unveiled a lineup of new servers.
While soaring sales of Macintosh computers, iPhones, and Apple’s IPad tablet computer have made Apple the most valuable company in the world; Dell continues to outpace Apple on corporate desktops and data centers, despite Dell’s long history of stumbles with consumer-focused products such as television sets, digital music players, and tablets.
Over the past few quarters, however, Cook has consistently talked up the progress Apple has made in big businesses, particularly with its iPad tablet computer.
“In education, it's being used; in the enterprise, it's being used in big numbers,” Cook said of Apple’s iPad at an investor conference last month. “From my point of view, it's the fastest adoption across a wide range that I've ever seen before.”
