Comments on: I knew Steve Jobs, I worked with Steve Jobs..Micheal Dell sir. you are no Steve Jobs http://experiencefreak.com/blog/2008/04/01/i-knew-steve-jobs-i-worked-with-steve-jobsmicheal-dell-sir-you-are-no-steve-jobs/ an experience strategist's musings on how culture, technology and design drive innovation. Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:04:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: andyhunter http://experiencefreak.com/blog/2008/04/01/i-knew-steve-jobs-i-worked-with-steve-jobsmicheal-dell-sir-you-are-no-steve-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-94 andyhunter Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:29:21 +0000 http://experiencefreak.com/blog/2008/04/01/i-knew-steve-jobs-i-worked-with-steve-jobsmicheal-dell-sir-you-are-no-steve-jobs/#comment-94 ha! peter, I couldn't agree with you more. I had a similiar beer soaked debate with a good friend and Dell employee around this very topic when they were in teh heyday of "apple doesn't matter" mode, and brought up that Wal-mart example. They'll survive, but until they crack any one of these: branding, unique user experience, or cohesive messaging across the enterprise they'll keep struggling. ...don't count em out though, look at Target. They were at best a Kmart knock off and totally reinvented themselves. Maybe a bit of fear, profit loss, and competition will put em in a new place. ha! peter, I couldn’t agree with you more. I had a similiar beer soaked debate with a good friend and Dell employee around this very topic when they were in teh heyday of “apple doesn’t matter” mode, and brought up that Wal-mart example. They’ll survive, but until they crack any one of these: branding, unique user experience, or cohesive messaging across the enterprise they’ll keep struggling.
…don’t count em out though, look at Target. They were at best a Kmart knock off and totally reinvented themselves. Maybe a bit of fear, profit loss, and competition will put em in a new place.

]]> By: Peter http://experiencefreak.com/blog/2008/04/01/i-knew-steve-jobs-i-worked-with-steve-jobsmicheal-dell-sir-you-are-no-steve-jobs/comment-page-1/#comment-93 Peter Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:55:05 +0000 http://experiencefreak.com/blog/2008/04/01/i-knew-steve-jobs-i-worked-with-steve-jobsmicheal-dell-sir-you-are-no-steve-jobs/#comment-93 Dell claims it is trying to "re-establish itself as a premium brand," but I don't think Dell was ever a "premium brand." Dell sold good computers inexpensively. Like a Wal-Mart, Dell's innovations came more from creative ways of making computers inexpensively than from any "panache" of having a Dell. Unfortunately for Dell, everyone else figured out how to make computers inexpensively leaving Dell with nothing to differentiate itself from the competition except pricing. It was a race to the bottom that nobody would win. Wal-Mart recently tried to move their image "upscale" and gave up--people did not equate Wal-Mart with designer goods. I think it will be much the same with Dell. Dell claims it is trying to “re-establish itself as a premium brand,” but I don’t think Dell was ever a “premium brand.” Dell sold good computers inexpensively. Like a Wal-Mart, Dell’s innovations came more from creative ways of making computers inexpensively than from any “panache” of having a Dell.

Unfortunately for Dell, everyone else figured out how to make computers inexpensively leaving Dell with nothing to differentiate itself from the competition except pricing. It was a race to the bottom that nobody would win.

Wal-Mart recently tried to move their image “upscale” and gave up–people did not equate Wal-Mart with designer goods. I think it will be much the same with Dell.

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