Hewlett-Packard is strong in areas Apple isn't. And doesn't aspire to be Apple. That's the essence of some of the feedback that I got in the wake of a critique I wrote of Hewlett-Packard last week.
To quickly summarize, I wrote that HP doesn't innovate in a way that creates products like the iPhone or iPad, despite being one of the original--if not the original--Silicon Valley start-up. And despite declarations made by former CEOs about reclaiming some of that start-up spirit.
Needless to say, I do read the comments attached to my posts. And because my opinion is certainly not infallible, I take valid counterpoints seriously.
There seemed to be more than the usual push-back in this case, so I think it's worth posting excerpts of reader comments.
Don't try to fit HP into the Apple mold: "Given the fact that HP OWNS the printer market, OWNS the plotter market, OWNS the corporate PC and server market, OWNS the test instrument market, I think they'll be OK when the day is done if they don't yet own the consumer-electronics market....I think you're trying to wish HP into an Apple mold--and that won't necessarily work...Ask any IT professional. When supporting groups, departments, divisions, and enterprises, solid is preferable to edgy and cool. This is why HP has so many enterprise agreements with Fortune 500 companies."
HP dominates the commercial PC business: "Interesting argument, but considering HP dominates the commercial market I don't see any reason they should be concerned about being branded as having bland consumer products. People will always buy HP when they want something reliable and familiar. Tablets are nifty but...pretty much limited to traveling businessmen and bosses who want to dazzle people by surfing the Web in meetings without having to squint [at a smartphone]. Where's Apple's market share in the enterprise server world? Somehow I think the bean counters at HP are perfectly happy with the billions they rake in from servers, storage, printers, and services."
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