Articles by Rob Enderle

As we watch the disaster relief effort play out in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we seem to be falling into the same old pattern of focusing on finding the right scapegoat rather than trying to make sure we can deal with similar future problems. Even after 9-11, the tsunami, and a variety of other disasters, we seem no more capable of effectively dealing with the critical aspects of such scenarios than we were a decade ago. In fact, we were probably in better shape to deal with such problems in the 1940s...

Except for those of us who build our own desktop computers, laptops have become the product that increasingly defines our personalities and which one we choose says more and more about who we are. Until recently our choices were defined by vendors: Apple if you favored high design, IBM if you liked reliability and unique features like secret keyboard light, Dell if you were driven by price and Sony if small was your thing...

In a series of columns this month, we started out by talking about the future of desktop computers, moved to laptops, and we'll conclude by talking about the future of convergence, or the melding of the PC and consumer electronics (CE) industries into what is hoped will be a compelling set of products for the home Let's start with a refresher on wh...

This month we are looking at the future -- and last week we spoke of the changes that are going on in desktop computers. I pointed out that one of the big problems with every single one of the available desktop concepts is the lack of a mobile solution With the Zotob virus allegedly being spread by improperly patched notebook computers and bringing...

We covered software alternatives in last week's column, so now it is time to look ahead at changes coming in hardware over the next few years, and the players driving those changes It is certainly time for a change. In 1984, we had two PCs in the business space. Apple enjoyed 40 percent market share and had two innovative designs, the Apple II and ...

Last week I focused on Windows Vista and how things didn't look particularly good for that product, at least not right now. I also mentioned that neither Apple nor Linux was likely to be able to take advantage of a Microsoft stumble However, I didn't explain why, in addition, I was focused on the developed world and I have been reminded that in pl...

There is no doubting the importance of Windows Vista, formerly known as "Longhorn" and the successor to Windows 95 through XP, as it forms the foundation for Microsoft's future fortunes just as its predecessor did for the company in years past. Vista will be Microsoft's strongest response to competitive pressure from platforms like Linux and the Mac OS...

Last week HP laid off 14,500 people and most determined that this was actually a good thing. In a way I think most of us have forgotten how hard a layoff of this size can be on any organization and how disruptive a drawn out process (this one is expected to take six quarters) can be. Still the result is likely to be a much more nimble and cost-effective HP, and that will be good for both the employees who remain and HP's customers...

We spend a lot of time forecasting the death of Sun these days. Employees have probably forgotten how to spell the word "morale," acquisitions seem more focused on distracting stake holders from clueless executives, and there often seems like a plan to develop more never-to-be-executed, silly strategies there than at any other company that has ever existed...

One of the big problems for complex companies is the ability, or inability, to use expertise developed in one area in another. This is one of the reasons complex companies like Sony often fail; they have all of the disadvantages of that complexity and don't really get the anticipated synergies or economies of scale that were generally used to justify the creation of their complex structures...

On this day in the United States we celebrate our independence from what was reported to be a very oppressive government. Of course, since the victors get to tell the story and it all happened even before my time, I have little doubt there was another side. History may seem black and white, but I know the history I have lived through seldom was C...

I just had one of the most surreal experiences in my life. I attended, as AMD's guest, the F1 Race in Indianapolis where 14 out of the 20 cars racing, including the Intel car, left the race after the parade lap Sharing the experience with me was a group of AMD's closest friends, mostly actual IT practitioners who favor AMD for mission-critical tas...

A lot can be drawn from watching the initial moves of a new CEO. In Carly Fiorina's case those moves were building an empire and driving a fast path to becoming the largest company, as well as the most visible CEO, in the segment. Both goals were achieved, but afterwards Fiorina lost focus and ultimately, she lost the job Mark Hurd is clearly a d...

Finally, after sending signals of this move ever since Steve Jobs re-took Apple's helm, the company last week announced that it will move to the x86 platform. While I had clearly anticipated this move for some time I also expected their execution, once announced, to be much more rapid than it will be. Apple's traditional mode of operation is to wait until the absolute last minute and then announce any major release to avoid the Osborne effect, (named after a failed computer company that was known to announce new products a year in advance of their release)...

Computex in Taiwan is the showcase for technology coming out of, and into, this country. Much like Comdex, it, and CeBIT in Europe, are the shows that have defined high technology throughout the world. The vendor battles here are no less dramatic than the vendor battles were at Comdex, and, strangely enough, they are often between and among the same vendors...

For several years a number of us have been anticipating the emergence of a Software Labor Union. The argument has not been whether it will emerge but what form it will take. The conditions for forming technology unions have never been better In many companies there exists a huge difference in compensation between the management (particularly the ...

E3 is the conference to go to if you are into gaming. Computer games, console games, even phone games are here, and the show is all about demos and entertainment. No place else in the world can you try out not-yet-released titles, see characters and equipment that only exist in the virtual gaming world and watch live shows of costumed entertainers doing everything from singing and dancing, to showcasing their expertise with a burning hula hoop...

The very first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the new Xbox was that this is probably what would have resulted if the rumored merger between Sony and Apple had been successful. It borrows heavily from design elements common in the most aggressive products from both companies and seems to miss many of disadvantages both firms have historically suffered...

A few months ago the Harvard Business Review did a piece on CEOs and pointed out the average tenure of an external CEO was 18 months, which suggests that a lot of CEOs are simply not qualified for the job they were selected for. Recently the HP board came to the conclusion that their high profile CEO, Carly Fiorinia, wasn't doing her job and took the incredibly painful path of replacing her with another who had a proven track record in the specific areas they felt HP needed more work. In that instance it wasn't a qualification problem but rather the willingness to do a job they wanted done...

On Friday Apple released its "Tiger" operating system into the marketplace.Borrowing heavily from what we had seen in Longhorn (Microsoft's next version of Windows) last year, Tiger is an impressive piece of work. I'm not one of those who thinks that using a competitor is a bad idea, particularly if you can get it out first. You play this game to win and, as long as it's legal, in my book anything goes...