November 7, 2001
11:25 AM Subscribe
HP's proposed buyout of Compaq has run into some unexpected resistance -- from a couple of guys named Hewlett and Packard.
D'oh, what happened? It was working in the preview.
posted by scottandrew at 11:30 AM on November 7, 2001
posted by scottandrew at 11:30 AM on November 7, 2001
Seen it in SF Chron and Yahoo Finance, among other news sites.
posted by msacheson at 11:30 AM on November 7, 2001
posted by msacheson at 11:30 AM on November 7, 2001
Weird, me too, with those 2 links. Worked in preview, I swear!
posted by msacheson at 11:31 AM on November 7, 2001
posted by msacheson at 11:31 AM on November 7, 2001
Yeah, someone needs to hit Mathowie over the head with a brick. The fucker must have changed the code to put up quotes around the links. all links.
posted by tiaka at 11:35 AM on November 7, 2001
posted by tiaka at 11:35 AM on November 7, 2001
Well, it's being discussed in "bugs" in MetaTalk, so I assume Matt will fix it soon. I'll wait patiently and not add to the load anymore.
posted by msacheson at 11:37 AM on November 7, 2001
posted by msacheson at 11:37 AM on November 7, 2001
Thanks, scottandrew. Did you do anything special? What's the trick? Take it to the MetaTalk thread to help all.
posted by msacheson at 11:41 AM on November 7, 2001
posted by msacheson at 11:41 AM on November 7, 2001
(Back on Topic) Carly Fiorina's situation is like Bill Clinton's in Nov. '94. Came in with high hopes and glam image but lost support and couldn't get agenda accomplished.
posted by msacheson at 11:58 AM on November 7, 2001
posted by msacheson at 11:58 AM on November 7, 2001
Compaq and HP are moving ahead at full speed. They have already sequestered large teams from both sides that are working to build the plan for "frictionless assimilation". At first I think many people had their doubts about wether they could pull it off, but it looks more and more like it really is going to happen.
posted by efullerton at 12:47 PM on November 7, 2001
posted by efullerton at 12:47 PM on November 7, 2001
At first I think many people had their doubts about wether they could pull it off, but it looks more and more like it really is going to happen.
One of those doubts was whether the shareholders would approve the merger. If Hewlett Jr. and Packard Jr. are going to step in like this, it's not just the merger that's in jeopardy, it's the entire strategy under Fiorina. Scary.
I'm not sure that they're being very realistic, either. For instance, the point about HP never being a place that treated its employees so poorly: HP never before had to worry about it. Times are different now; the firm could very well go bankrupt if it doesn't move with them....
posted by mattpfeff at 1:30 PM on November 7, 2001
One of those doubts was whether the shareholders would approve the merger. If Hewlett Jr. and Packard Jr. are going to step in like this, it's not just the merger that's in jeopardy, it's the entire strategy under Fiorina. Scary.
I'm not sure that they're being very realistic, either. For instance, the point about HP never being a place that treated its employees so poorly: HP never before had to worry about it. Times are different now; the firm could very well go bankrupt if it doesn't move with them....
posted by mattpfeff at 1:30 PM on November 7, 2001
The economy was a hell of a lot worse in the 1970s than it is today, yet HP made it through then without layoffs.
I don't believe for a second there is something special today that is forcing Fiorina to lay people off and divest all of HP's R&D. She's just looking for that big quarterly bonus, that's all. When she's through, HP won't have a profitable bone left in its body. But it won't matter to her; she'll be drifting away on her golden parachute.
posted by Potsy at 1:48 PM on November 7, 2001
I don't believe for a second there is something special today that is forcing Fiorina to lay people off and divest all of HP's R&D. She's just looking for that big quarterly bonus, that's all. When she's through, HP won't have a profitable bone left in its body. But it won't matter to her; she'll be drifting away on her golden parachute.
posted by Potsy at 1:48 PM on November 7, 2001
Why does HP think this deal is worth pursuing anyway? On the surface at least it seems like a recipe for disaster and reminds me of Compaq's acquisition of DEC - look where it got them, divested of a lot of the assets that made DEC valuable (at the time anyway) and looking for a merger partner themselves. I hope this deal does get spiked, I just don't see the fit.
posted by Tempus67 at 2:05 PM on November 7, 2001
posted by Tempus67 at 2:05 PM on November 7, 2001
The economy was a hell of a lot worse in the 1970s than it is today, yet HP made it through then without layoffs.
True. But this slowdown follows unprecedented over-investment. Maybe you're right, HP should just ride it out. But it seems quite probable that they, like most other companies today, are badly overextended and will not be able to generate the revenue needed to support what they've built up over the past decade.
posted by mattpfeff at 2:56 PM on November 7, 2001
True. But this slowdown follows unprecedented over-investment. Maybe you're right, HP should just ride it out. But it seems quite probable that they, like most other companies today, are badly overextended and will not be able to generate the revenue needed to support what they've built up over the past decade.
posted by mattpfeff at 2:56 PM on November 7, 2001
WTF?
Fiorina: DAVID DAVID, WHERE ART THOU DAVID.
posted by HoldenCaulfield at 3:38 PM on November 7, 2001
Fiorina: DAVID DAVID, WHERE ART THOU DAVID.
posted by HoldenCaulfield at 3:38 PM on November 7, 2001
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posted by msacheson at 11:27 AM on November 7, 2001