Most folks who do not follow business closely are surprised to learn that Michael Dell has not been the chief executive officer of Round Rock, Texas-based Dell, Inc for almost two years now. This NY Times piece profiles Dell’s CEO, Kevin B. Rollins, and, although Mr. Dell is no longer CEO, it sounds as if Mr. Dell is still, might we say, “involved” in the company’s day-to-day operations:
[Messrs. Dell and Rollins] do work closely together, figuratively and literally. Their large wooden desks face one another in adjoining offices separated by a glass wall and a glass door. [EMC CEO Joseph] Tucci says he has visited those offices about 50 times and has never seen the door closed. “The way those two guys get along is not an act,” Mr. Tucci said. “I can start a conversation with Michael, and two weeks later finish it with Kevin. They know what each other is thinking.”
For What It’s Worth Dept.: A guy I know who works on computers for a large retail chain says they get more computers from Dell to repair than from any other company. He says Dell has lost its way in its attempt to gain market share with low prices. He says if he bought a computer retail, he’d go with HP. That is all.