Innovators vs Copiers: HP vs Dell

eaglemoon writes ""The days of engineering-led technology companies are coming to an end," Mr. Dell declared. The NY Times outlines a modern version of a classic innovation theory. Who gets to win in the marketplace - the innovators who invest in R&D like crazy or those that just take cost out of standard products? The current fight between Dell and HP over the printer business is a great natural experiment in verifying this theory." The article does a good job of stating what the real contest is - it's the different theories of corporate structure that's being tested.

Dell makes printers?

[night_flyer]

I need to get out of the house more often...

New logos

[FattMattP]

HP
Invent

DELL
Copy

Blah blah lamesness filter blah blah blah.

Actually...

[Kazymyr]

Dell innovating? That's unpossible!

Who will win?

[JosKarith]

Well, my money is on the company whose ink's price by volume is seven times the cost of a good Dom Perignon.

Re:HP? An innovator?

[mt2mb4me]

They were the first company to make laser printers with a ozone filter small enough that you could fit your laser printer on the desk, [hp.com] also the first to come out with ink technology [hp.com], infact I still have my thinkjet, and it still works.

Re:When you're a commodity-oriented company...

[swv3752]

About the same as Dell, slim and none. :P

Re:missing something here....

[Anonymous Coward]

My next car (my current ride has an American brand, was built in Kansas City, but was based on a european design; I've had it for 7 years, and it was 9 months old when I bought it. 150,000 not-so-trouble-free miles.) will be built in Kentucky or Ohio.

Your current ride is a 1997 Ford Contour SE, with a 2.5 liter V6 engine and an automatic transmission. You've had the head gaskets replaced, and the blower motor resistor pack replaced (twice). You've also had warped brake rotors and replaced the O2 sensor and the torque convertor. It's noisy going down the road, and there's an unidentifed noise in the rear suspension that you've given up looking for. On the plus side, you like the handling, taking corners far faster than anyone expects, and it's virtually invisible to the police.

Your next will be a Nissan (KY) or a Honda (OH)?

Please tell me how I scored. ;)

Re:When you're a commodity-oriented company...

[Belgand]

Support? I build my computers myself. Quite frankly I think I provide rather excellent support to myself on them. Very rarely do I ever get placed on hold or have some idiot trying to describe something to me that he barely understands.

Frankly I can't really imagine needing or wanting "support" on most products. If I really need to fix a perplexing problem... well... that's what the internet is for.

Re:When you're a commodity-oriented company...

[DrCode]

That's why my software group bought a second automatic espresso machine to be used as a spare. Previously, a breakdown of the machine would cause major productivity declines during the week it took to get it fixed.