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Lean and Mean: 150,000 U.S. layoffs for IBM?
I, Cringely (PBS) ^ | May 4, 2007 | Robert X. Cringely

Posted on 05/04/2007 8:21:14 PM PDT by Golden Eagle

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To: D-Chivas

I work at a major US bank that was using IBM thinkpads and netvista/thinkcentre workstations for all their users.

Since Lenovo has taken over complete control and they have no one to answer to for quality control anymore, the products have taken a major nose dive. They have kept the IBM name on the products just to make the transition less painful, but with every version, the lenovo nameplate gets bigger, and the IBM symbol gets smaller.

The new Lenovo gear (Thinkpad T60’s and Thinkcentre workstations) are major pieces of crap right out of the box. Bad motherboards, fans failing within the first days and frying the systems, keys breaking off, etc....

Big shocker.


41 posted on 05/04/2007 11:20:42 PM PDT by Proud_USA_Republican (We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. - Hillary Clinton)
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To: Proud_USA_Republican
The new Lenovo gear (Thinkpad T60’s and Thinkcentre workstations) are major pieces of crap right out of the box. Bad motherboards, fans failing within the first days and frying the systems, keys breaking off, etc.... Big shocker.

That's why IBM's PC division was a stinking pile of crap. It couldn't do the exact same things that HP, Compaq and Dell did without charging more than its competitors. It doesn't take a lot of competence to make the same quality products as your competitors at a higher cost. What's difficult is matching or beating them on cost. Lenovo's just another zero-innovation, low-quality Chinese company that subtracts parts and steps until the product breaks in large quantities. IBM logo or not, if you buy Lenovo, expect the same quality that you get from no-name Chinese-made DVD players.

42 posted on 05/05/2007 1:50:37 AM PDT by Zhang Fei
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To: Hodar
Who’s going to build the computers in 50 years? Who’s going to be designing space vehicles, automobiles, medical devices, business computers, software and leading the world in R&D?

Our country's defenses depend utterly on our technology leading that of other countries. As we give up that lead, we endanger our country's entire defense system.

As we move research and development to Red China, we make our world a far more dangerous place. As we make Red China wealthy and the world's leading manufacturer, we make our world a far more dangerous place.

43 posted on 05/05/2007 1:57:34 AM PDT by snowsislander
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To: Milhous

IBM has been #1 for 14 straight years.


44 posted on 05/05/2007 2:10:25 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
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To: Sender

The company I work for bough a bumch of Lenovo’s and we are regretting it. They are a steaming, stinking pile. Example, we got 30 desktops in January, 3 alreay have had issues. Just yesterday one had a hard drive die. I have been told that next round of upgrades will be dells.


45 posted on 05/05/2007 2:28:59 AM PDT by Hydroshock (Duncan Hunter For President, checkout gohunter08.com.)
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To: Golden Eagle

bump


46 posted on 05/05/2007 2:38:56 AM PDT by patj
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To: Sender
I hate calling some barely understandable Indian call center person who is almost always a brainless robot, reading "standard" questions/answers from a screen or cue card.

Me: "Hi! My device was just hit by a meteor and is not working"

Mindless Call Center Person: "Is it plugged in?"

Me: "I just said it was totally destroyed by a flaming meteor. "

Mindless Call Center Person: "Ok sir, I hear that. Is it plugged in?"

Me: "OH JUST FORGET IT!"

47 posted on 05/05/2007 3:58:02 AM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: Golden Eagle

whats the problem no one likes the lowest bidder capitalism?

its all the rage

about loosing a job i know all about it

i try to have 2 jobs going all the time im a bit burned out from it right now

i changed 3 careers so far and by stats i have 7 more to change to plus there is allways the military im sure we will be bombing something in next 5-10 yrs

its fun going from crack head soup diet to gourmet bbq’s in few year spam

oh yeah , and im trying to figure out what business to run or what third country to move to when i get to be 45 and no longer employable

so fun times rock on


48 posted on 05/05/2007 4:02:54 AM PDT by Flavius ("Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum")
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To: Golden Eagle

There is no reason absolutely for any American to take up Information Technology in college. There are almost NO jobs in the USA for Americans. The few remaining jobs are reserved for non-Americans.


49 posted on 05/05/2007 4:07:24 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged
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To: Zhang Fei

IBM PC’s were the best in the world, by far, till they moved the manufacturing to China. Palmisano deserves full credit for completely destroying a former American icon, then selling it of for a dime to the dollar.


50 posted on 05/05/2007 4:49:59 AM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: AmericaUnited
You must have had a mindless call center person. As soon as you said the words "flaming meteor", he should have asked you the basic safety script questions.

"Was anyone killed by this flaming meteor?" Y/N

"Was any Lenovo or non-Lenovo equipment damaged?" Y/N

"Does the customer believe that a flaming meteor constitutes an ongoing safety hazard?" Y/N

Only THEN should he have asked if it is plugged in.

51 posted on 05/05/2007 4:53:57 AM PDT by Sender ("America is at that awkward stage..." - Claire Wolfe)
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To: Golden Eagle
Seems like they are proving my friend right when we get into debates since this crap keeps going on. He always comes back and says, "at least we were working and had jobs when Jimmy Carter was President" although that was about to change I do admit.

We are in for some bad times and a seriously bumpy ride.
52 posted on 05/05/2007 4:58:13 AM PDT by Nowhere Man ("Paint me something patriotic, like, The Confederate Flag!" - Wolf, from "Blackboard Jumble")
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To: Flavius
its fun going from crack head soup diet to gourmet bbq’s in few year spam

oh yeah , and im trying to figure out what business to run or what third country to move to when i get to be 45 and no longer employable

so fun times rock on


Either that or, as my father (and what I see, I think he's right) put it as he sees whatss coming down the road (along with talkshow host Chuck Harder) you get to choose which firearm to use in the next revolution or mountaintop/cave/island/mobile home to hide in to ride it out until it's over. Dunno how old you are but I'm 40 myself, got a job in accounting (I used to do IT) that pays fairly well and I Thank god everytime I think about it.
53 posted on 05/05/2007 5:06:40 AM PDT by Nowhere Man ("Paint me something patriotic, like, The Confederate Flag!" - Wolf, from "Blackboard Jumble")
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To: Hydroshock
The company I work for bough a bumch of Lenovo’s and we are regretting it

Who made the decision to buy Lenovo?

54 posted on 05/05/2007 5:08:39 AM PDT by EVO X
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To: Black Birch

Beancounters.


55 posted on 05/05/2007 5:13:21 AM PDT by Hydroshock (Duncan Hunter For President, checkout gohunter08.com.)
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To: Hodar
As an Electrical Engineer, I’m finding that I am discouraging young people from pursuing this career.

I advise any young person who will listen (I am an old fart after all) to get a government job.

56 posted on 05/05/2007 5:14:29 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: snowsislander
As we move research and development to Red China, we make our world a far more dangerous place. As we make Red China wealthy and the world's leading manufacturer, we make our world a far more dangerous place.

You think that matters? All that matters is that the executives at the top make many many millions, instead of just mere millions.

57 posted on 05/05/2007 5:17:30 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: Flavius

I was in the computer business for 40 years and worked for 17 companies. Only two are still in the business. It was a great career but I had to adapt to sudden changes. I knew early on that I’d never get a pension so I built my own retirement plan and have never had any regrets. Capitalism works but you have to both work hard and be adaptable to change.


58 posted on 05/05/2007 5:22:01 AM PDT by USS Alaska (Nuke the terrorist savages - In Honor of Standing Wolf)
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To: Hydroshock
Beancounters.

I kind of thought so, but thought I'd ask..

Even with likes of Dell or HP, it possible to get burned big time if they have a bad product line. Even if they cover the warranty, it never covers the labor costs and headaches.

We built our own computers for a few years. We used Ibm drives. Darn near every one of them failed. That was before Ibm sold it to Hitachi.

59 posted on 05/05/2007 5:35:11 AM PDT by EVO X
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To: Black Birch

IBM is making a mistake in wanting to become just and IT services company. There are a lot out there, and without the hardware to back them up why should I not get a local company to do it for my.


60 posted on 05/05/2007 5:37:45 AM PDT by Hydroshock (Duncan Hunter For President, checkout gohunter08.com.)
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