HP Forum Archive 20

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Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #1 Posted by Peter Murphy (Livermore) on 22 Sept 2011, 4:31 p.m. New York Times: Meg Whitman, eBay's former chief executive, was named to lead Hewlett-Packard on Thursday, the company said. Meg Whitman, the former chief executive of eBay, lost in her recent bid to become governor of California. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/technology/whitman-expected-to-be-named-at-hp.html Edited: 22 Sept 2011, 4:32 p.m.

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #2 Posted by NateB on 22 Sept 2011, 4:45 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) Whitman at H.P.? The Idea Distresses the Tech World. Link

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #3 Posted by Eric Smith on 22 Sept 2011, 6:11 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) If Whitman reverses the plan to spin off personal systems, it will make me wonder whether the whole thing wasn't a short-and-distort operation (the opposite of pump-and-dump).

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #4 Posted by Howard Owen on 22 Sept 2011, 6:35 p.m., in response to message #3 by Eric Smith The sort of official unofficial word is that the board approved of the plan to radically shift toward software and services, but didn't like Apotheker's way of selling it to Wall Street, or his ability to lead the charge in that direction. But who knows? Cringely thought Meg was scheming on the top job way back in February. I wouldn't be surprised if they went into carpet cleaning at this point.

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #5 Posted by Namir on 22 Sept 2011, 6:16 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) That is indeed good news!!!

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #6 Posted by Walter B on 22 Sept 2011, 6:41 p.m., in response to message #5 by Namir ?!? Did I miss anything?

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #7 Posted by Mark Harman on 22 Sept 2011, 8:31 p.m., in response to message #5 by Namir Not really. Maybe for shareholders who get a temporary boost to their share value from the irrational exuberance that follows this announcement. However, I think HP is playing the last card out of their deck and it is going to land straight in the toilet. Regards, Mark

The epitaphy Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #8 Posted by Artur - Brazil on 22 Sept 2011, 8:27 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) Well, I can't understand how a group of idiots can lead such a historical company to the bankrupt! First, the complete ignorant on tech - Ms. Karly. A celebrity of business!!! Ha,ha,ha ... She starts the fall down of HP, putting the tech production - the real fundaments of HP - to a new enterprise, Agilent. Each new CEO brings with him/her a home work from last firm the incumbence of making HP buying some putrid part of old job. It's unbelievable how HP is far from its origin. How could such genious factory be quartered by ganancy and easy profit. I really believe their own employees should buy each part that is still standing up and make new Agilents ... but in USA, all production line. Looking for low costs and producing everything in China (or wathever) is what I call: a shoot on own feet.

Re: The epitaphy Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #9 Posted by Eric Smith on 23 Sept 2011, 10:47 a.m., in response to message #8 by Artur - Brazil HP made plenty of stuff overseas in their heyday, and it wasn't a big problem. I don't think moving production lines to the USA would solve any of HP's current problems, but it would hurt their bottom line, either by a significant decrease to their profit margin, or increased list prices, either of which hurt the bottom line. How overseas production is managed is another story. It can be done well, or it can be done poorly.

Re: The epitaphy Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #10 Posted by Artur-Brazil on 23 Sept 2011, 1:21 p.m., in response to message #9 by Eric Smith Hi, Eric My feeling about producing something abroad is the basis on this is done: HP (and other inventors) is giving its technology to be copied. Also, when they privileges other to make all the service, I believe that they are loosing the capability of doing it at home... HP calculators were always more expensive than others, I believe even TI ones, but this was compensated by their quality. You can operate your 11C, 15C or 41C until today, try do this with a TI-59 - it probably will have serious keyboard problems. HP have produced its calculators here in Brazil too, but, at that time, there was no transfer of details or it would almost be impossible to replicate its hardware as it is today. Well, any way, this is just my modest opinion. I really don't have all information to judge a big CEO or predict something. I just don't want to see people loosing their job due to bad administrators.

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #11 Posted by Mark Harman on 22 Sept 2011, 8:29 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) Worst. Decision. Ever. Fiorina was horrible and destroyed the HP Way. Apotheker was a huge mistake and would have given away HP's cash cow if kept on board. However, Whitman? I think they would have been better off picking up someone who actually has vision and also gives a darn about engineering good products. Good luck, HP. It was nice knowing you. Mark

Wall Street Journal: H-P Defends Hasty Whitman Hire Message #12 Posted by Peter Murphy (Livermore) on 22 Sept 2011, 8:40 p.m., in response to message #11 by Mark Harman H-P ousted CEO Leo Apotheker and replaced him with Meg Whitman, but it won't immediately back away from Apotheker's strategy to separate the PC business. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903703604576586753827390510.html

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #13 Posted by Eddie W. Shore on 23 Sept 2011, 4:06 a.m., in response to message #11 by Mark Harman I agree, Mark. I don't trust Whitman at all. I'm just glad we got the 10bii+, 12C 30th Yr Anniversary, and a 15C re-release before it all went down. This should make for interesting, if not disturbing talk at this year's HHC.

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #14 Posted by Calum Tait on 22 Sept 2011, 8:53 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) What a shame!

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #15 Posted by David Hayden on 22 Sept 2011, 9:14 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) I don't see this as bad. Whitman has a proven record with ebay. Not may people can claim in increase in revenue of 8000% The articles slam her for not being a good politician. They'd slam her even worse if she was a former governor ("HP hires politician to save company").

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #16 Posted by Dave Shaffer (Arizona) on 22 Sept 2011, 10:24 p.m., in response to message #15 by David Hayden Quote: I don't see this as bad. Whitman has a proven record with ebay. I think ebay was in the right place at the right time - anybody with some experience could have grown it. The easy growth is done - just think of all the bitching and moaning that has occurred here with regard to their recent trends to try for more revenue by nickel and diming the sellers. HP was different: they once had unquestioned superiority in test and measurement equipment (except, perhaps, oscilloscopes and niche equipment such as picoammeters). Every engineer in the US (if not the world) dreamt of the latest HP instrument for his lab. They spun that off (Agilent) and, IMHO, have been going downhill ever since. You can sell only so many PCs and printers - so HP may be closer to ebay than one might think, in terms of stagnant product and marketplace. If she didn't turn ebay around, what is she going to do differently at HP.

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #17 Posted by Dan W on 22 Sept 2011, 11:14 p.m., in response to message #16 by Dave Shaffer (Arizona) eBay can nickel and dime people, and generally be as annoying as they want because they have no real competition. That's why we loath it so much, but we use it. Running a business without competition is going to be very different than HP. Having real concerns about customers, quality, and efficiency might be new concepts for Whitman.

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #18 Posted by Paul Gaster on 23 Sept 2011, 5:44 a.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) "Is HP's board the worst ever?" CNN link "HP's Board of Directors Is Pathetic" Forbes Link "These guys are a bunch of clowns, surpassed in incompetence only by Yahoo!’s (YHOO) board."

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #19 Posted by Dan W on 23 Sept 2011, 10:07 a.m., in response to message #18 by Paul Gaster Quote: "These guys are a bunch of clowns, surpassed in incompetence only by Yahoo!’s (YHOO) board." Or perhaps Motorola. Sell off all your core competencies, and pat yourself on the back for the brilliant strategic moves.

Re: Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief Message #20 Posted by Steffen VN on 23 Sept 2011, 2:33 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) Anybody has to be better than Fiorina was...but I don't have high hopes. Can't say I would be surprised if the PC/handheld division were saved/restored, though they've already lost a lot of consumer goodwill.

HP stock hits 6-year low after Whitman named CEO Message #21 Posted by Peter Murphy (Livermore) on 23 Sept 2011, 3:33 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) Associated Press NEW YORK - Hewlett-Packard Co.'s stock sank Friday to its lowest level in six years, as investors worried that new CEO Meg Whitman isn't the right person to turn the company's fortunes around. http://online.wsj.com/article/AP56756aea195f42608f26847847708281.html

Re: HP stock hits 6-year low after Whitman named CEO Message #22 Posted by Eddie W. Shore on 24 Sept 2011, 8:25 a.m., in response to message #21 by Peter Murphy (Livermore) Way to go Meg. (sarcaism). She does not inspire any confidence in anyone.

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