HP Wants to Be Cooler than Apple

While I know that HP can be cool place to work, the outside perception isn't nearly as cool. HP's new CEO, Leo Apotheker, however, envisions HP to be just as cool as Apple. In an interview ith BBC, Apotheker said that “the Internet is going totally mobile, the bandwidth is there ... so many technologies are converging, and HP is the one company that can put it all together. We want to be the leader in this.” 

“I hope one day people will say 'this is as cool as HP,' not 'as cool as Apple,'" Apotheker said. He hinted to a few drastic changes on this path. HP will kill the Palm brand and launch new products at its February 9 event as HP products. There is a clear desire to own a certain "wow factor", as Apotheker called it, that will support the future growth of the company. He sees much more potential in the company than has been leveraged in the past: “Shame on us, though,” Apotheker added. “ I don’t think HP has been telling its story as well as it could over the past few years.

It is difficult to walk into an electronics store and have the specific intent look for certain HP products today. Apotheker has a lot of work ahead. However, there has always been the notion in the industry that HP has the talent and resources to take on Apple in design and marketing. The company just needs to proof that it can really do it.  

  • bavman
    They need to step up their game though. Last hp notebook i bought was crap in terms of build quality, and overheated all the time. Just make sure you dont become aholes and overcharge for your products lol
    Reply
  • icepick314
    don't make it "cool"...

    just make great laptops that works and last a long time...

    I don't need to carry one like a hipster accessory...
    Reply
  • lifelesspoet
    Hey kids, look at our cheap and crappy laptops! Aren't they cool!
    Reply
  • gekko668
    Make your hardware reliable, high res LCD and replace that stupid multi-touch wannabe track pad and i'll guy your product any day.
    Reply
  • Not hard to do HP, can't you have higher aspirations?
    Reply
  • They need to dump Microsoft to change their image for the better. MS is an anchor.
    Reply
  • jrharbort
    As mentioned in a few comments already, it wouldn't hurt for them to improve their hardware reliability, and offer a better standard warranty. It helps when customers know you stand behind your product's ability to last.

    This is where their name has been tarnished the most. They have a lot of work to do to start convincing consumers otherwise.
    Reply
  • beayn
    He fails to realize that Apple is only cool to Apple fans. The rest of the sane world doesn't think that way. As someone stated above, just improve the quality and customers will notice.
    Reply
  • hummerchine
    GOOD FREAKING LUCK
    Reply
  • overclockingrocks
    improve product reliability back to what it used to be before the DV2000 series laptops came out (which were garbage and had tons of motherboard issues) and I'd be more than happy to buy an HP laptop. Back before the DV series came out HP was known for reliability and a well built machine. The DV series changed all that. Massive overheating issues and motherboards failing in just over a year (case in point my friends DV2202 motherboard died in 13 months thankfully he bought the 3 year extended warranty).

    If they want to take on Apple they have to get their QC/QA levels back up and go back to the way they used to be. Until they resolve the underlying reliability and build quality issues they have NO chance at taking on Apple or any other manufacturer that's using higher end parts and has better QA/QC along with incredibly stable and reliable products
    Reply