Dell, A Mass-Marketer Seeks the Lustre-Prone Customer
Once the darling of people studying logistics everywhere, Dell seems a little lost these days.  I almost can't believe that a company, that built its reputation on low cost supply chain, would consider going after a luxery market.  Someone at Dell really should have run this strategy past Michael Porter.  Dell would be going head to head with niche gaming PC makers and of course, Apple. 

What's happened with the PC market?
1. HP seemed to get organized again and they have a much stronger consumer presence (Future Shop, Best Buy).
2. The majority of new PC/laptops are being bought by consumers who prefer using Big Box stores for touch and feel purchasing.
3. Hardly anyone is inspired to buy a new PC in the corporate environment.  Laptops are becoming more and more standard.  PCs are not be updated because they are good enough (until laptops get slightly cheaper).

The fortunes of Dell are interesting to watch because it is not so much the success of Dell, Intel and Windows but Wintel+Dell that dictated so much of the 1990's and early 2000 PC market.

The era of the PC is over.  Goodbye Dell, see you when re-invent yourself.