Here’s a little history lesson for the young’uns in the room: once upon a time, IBM made typewriters. Fast forward to 1981 and they came out with the IBM Personal Computer. This was a game changer, to the point that the nickname “PC”, became the defining term for home computers. Yes, your Apple was technically a “Personal Computer”, but it wasn’t a “PC”.
Personally, I always wanted a Bannana Jr.
IBM would continue to define and and occasionally dominate the market for years. Having an IBM ThinkPad made you look more professional than just having a “mere” laptop. It’s hard to imagine now that there was a time when people would actually pay more for a Palm Pilot because it was IBM branded.
Then came 2005 and suddenly IBM sold the works. Lenovo, a Chinese company that was already doing the actual production of their laptops and desktops, purchased their PC division for $1.75 billion. Since then, Lenovo has continued to carry the ThinkPad and ThinkCentre brands successfully, and it has also championed new consumer lines like the IdeaPad and IdeaCentre. All-in-all, it looks like that was a smart move. For one thing, with much of the tech sector taking a beating, Lenovo made gains.
Now there are rumors that HP, the world’s largest computer maker, might be selling off their computer division as well. The price is a bit steeper than IBM, with the number 10 billion floating around.
Insert outdated evil laugh pop culture reference.
This feels weird to consider, as HP tends to be the buyer of companies and not the bought, but considering some of their odder moves of late — like releasing major products with no press release — and the hit their stocks have been taking, it’s certainly possible. With their earnings due today after market close, we’re going to have to take a wait-and-see attitude.
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