Feeling the heat, HP and Dell execs lash out at Apple

Space Apple lgoo by Flickr user “Macgeek417”

That Apple’s advances in mobile are sending shivers down the spines of the industry’s top brass is old news, but surely high-ranked executives from HP and Dell, the world’s top computer makers, wouldn’t bother lashing out at Apple had iPhone and iPad not instilled fear in their hearts. Stephen DeWitt, senior vice president of HP’s Americas Solution Partners Organization, in an interview with CRN’s Kevin McLaughlin at HP’s Americas Partner Conference in Las Vegas:

Apple’s relationship with partners is transactional, completely. Apple doesn’t have an inclusive philosophy of partner capabilities, and that’s just absurd. Unlike Apple, HP is very channel friendly. And if you have an issue with HP you can pick up the phone and talk to someone. That’s something that’s impossible with Apple. As an Apple partner, I can say that it really feels like they’re holding you hostage sometimes.

HP, of course, is betting on webOS smartphones stemming from their Palm acquisition, but its foray in the tablet space is anything but certain. Another amusing quote comes from Dell’s global head of marketing for large enterprises and public organisations, Andy Lark. He goes to great lengths to portray Apple’s tablet – overpriced. His argument?

Lark said at the CIO summit in Sydney, Australia that a fully kitted iPad is expensive because the device, equipped with a keyboard, a mouse and a case, will set you back about $1600.

“That’s double of what you’re paying,” he said, adding that’s “not feasible”. He then offered the following gem:

I couldn’t be happier that Apple has created a market and built up enthusiasm but longer term, open, capable and affordable will win, not closed, high price and proprietary. [Apple has] done a really nice job, they’ve got a great product, but the challenge they’ve got is that already Android is outpacing them. Apple is great if you’ve got a lot of money and live on an island. It’s not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex.

Really? A lot of bloggers beg to differ, including publications like InformationWeek. And surely the fact Apple’s upcoming summer conference is the hottest ticket in town is by no means an indication of where the wind is blowing? That’s not to say Apple’s alone in the post PC game, but it has a tremendous first mover advantage. Newsflash for HP and Dell – this is why Apple’s killing it.