Not Just For ThinkPads Anymore: Lenovo Gets OK To Buy IBM Server Line 93
IBM sold its personal computer line (including the iconic ThinkPad line) to Lenovo back in 2005. Now, Lenovo is poised to acquire IBM's line of X86-based servers, and has garnered the approval of a regulatory body which could have scotched the deal. (The article describes the server line at issue as "low end," but that's in the eye of the beholder.) From the article:
The conclusion of the review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or Cfius, is “good news for both IBM and Lenovo, and for our customers and employees,” Armonk, New York-based IBM said yesterday in a statement. While Cfius placed some conditions on the deal, they don’t significantly affect the business, and terms of the transaction didn’t change as result, a person with knowledge of the matter said, without specifying the conditions. The sale drew scrutiny because of disputes between China and the U.S., the world’s two largest economies, over cyberintrusions. By completing the deal, IBM can jettison a less profitable business to focus on growing areas, such as cloud computing and data analytics, while giving Lenovo a bigger piece of the global computing-hardware market. ... Spokesmen for IBM and Lenovo declined to comment on whether the Cfius clearance included any requirements or concessions. Holly Shulman, a spokeswoman for the Treasury Department, which leads Cfius, declined to comment.
Re:cant even get the keyboard right on their lapto (Score:4, Interesting)
The Apple touchpads are actually quite good, but everyone else's attempts to rip them off have been terrible and unusable...
I always used to use the nipple on thinkpads, and with other laptops i would always connect up an external mouse. When i got a macbook i actually started using the touchpad.
Re:"Less profitable" (Score:1, Interesting)
Apple doesn't sell computers or other electronic devices. Apple sells religious idols with a particular logo on them.
Companies selling irreligious computers face stiff competition, and the market naturally limits their profitability. Customers will go with whoever offers them the best deal. So such vendors and manufacturers need to highly optimize or offshore their production practices in order to keep them as cheap as possible.
Those peddling religion are in a very different situation. Once converted, it is comparatively rare for somebody to fully switch to a different religion. And while actively practicing the religion, such people will often show limited to no restraint, especially when it comes to financial matters. They will spend huge amounts of money on the religion, without any care about getting utility in return.
That's why those selling religion can get away with things that those selling practical tools never could.
Re:"Less profitable" (Score:3, Interesting)
Just 10 minutes ago I explained to somebody here, who did not understand the basic principles of economy, such as capital formation based on savings, why the Chinese are buyin USA property [slashdot.org] and then I see this story and comments. The reason that the Chinese can and are buying USA property anx productive assets is that they cannot exchange their productive output for American output. The USA worker is made unproductive by American government and the foreigners, who export 500Billion USD/year more than USA exports to them (trade defficit) need to get rid of the dollars that are collecting dust and causing rising prices in their countries.
IBM sold this because they were offered a large cash amount (2,000,000,000) and 3,00,000,000 in Lenovo stock, and now IBM will enjoy productivity of a Chinese company that is not subjected to the insane USA anti-individual freedom rules, regulations, taxes and inflation. IBM will get rid of some American employees, who are made too expensive by USA government (I am not at all talking about salaries here, so do not bother) in a country where savings and productivity are punished, not rewarded since US government killed the free market.