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Story: Gartner: HP and IBM could abandon PC market

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You say only Dell was profitable. NOT TRUE. Apple has been profitable with its PC business as well.

I've said this many times before...

The open architecture of the x86 PC business may have led to great success in the 80s 90s and early 00s but it will inevitably lead to there being only one PC manufacturer (at best) or (at worst) only the opportunity to make DIY PCs.

Because every x86 PC manufacturer has access to the EXACT same components as his competitor, there is no way for them to differentiate their products from the competition except through price. When a business model is structured this way, it inevitably forces all those that attached themselves to that model to price themselves right out of the industry.

I foresee, only the proprietary consumer-focused platforms surviving and them thriving as a result of this fact. unfortunately, there is only one. Good news for Apple. Bad news for everyone else.

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