Intel: Clueless In Santa Clara
from the consumer-focus? dept
Okay, if people are mad that I’m harsh on Apple, here’s an article that’s harsh on Intel as well. Dvorak’s latest column points out why Intel is being stupid by focusing on consumer electronics devices. His point is that most of these devices are just cool toys that should be manufactured elsehwere by companies that know what they’re doing. All Intel is trying to do is piggyback on their successful ad campaigns. He also makes some suggestions for things that Intel should be working on instead. I think there’s another reason for Intel’s move, that Dvorak doesn’t really discuss. Intel wants to show that the PC should be the “central device” in a house with lots of other appliances working off of it. The best way to do that (they seem to believe) is to jump start those other appliances. I’m not sure they really expect their consumer electronics products to be big business, but they do hope it gets people used to the idea of “connected appliances”.
Comments on “Intel: Clueless In Santa Clara”
Intel: Clueless, but not incapable
I worked for Intel for over two years, and if there’s one thing I learned in my time there, it’s that Intel is the epitome of corporate cluelessness. Half the employees don’t know what their job is, and the ones that do don’t know how to do it. Ever see the movie Office Space? When I first saw it, I mistook it for a PBS documentary of my experiences at Intel.
All that said, however, I have several friends who still work at Intel and who happen to be working on some of the new consumer electronics devices. Intel’s strength, according to one friend, is in hardware. The people developing the hardware aspect of these devices are brilliant, and they’re coming up with some really awesome stuff. However, Intel’s major weakness (which I experienced firsthand) is software. Like many companies these days, Intel hires inept developers and even more inept managers, and as a company they have absolutely no clue how to run a successful software development project.
Some of the new devices I’ve gotten word of sound really cool, and several of them are things I’d shell out cash for, but only if the software half of the picture stops goofing off and gets their act together. That’s Intel’s only big shortcoming in their consumer electronics devices, imho.
No Subject Given
PC the central device? have these idiots not read the Invisible computer yet? Sheesh.