Yogi;
<<I think a discussion on the relative performance of Seagate vs. Maxtor, HDD, IBM, and WDC would be fruitful.
I recently revisited a paper on Vertical Manufacturing and Wintelism and found it to be an excellent tool for reorganizing my thoughts on the disk drive industry and the pc industry.>>
Once again you have found an interesting paper and have presented us with a challenge to think. To be honest, after a very quick scan of the paper you linked, I contemplate the task with a sigh. Sentences like: "Wintelism is not just a story of the ineluctable competitive elaboration of the interior logic of new technology." cause me to shiver with angst. Nevertheless you draw an important question from the paperand mention, almost casually, that re-reading it has caused you to reorganize your thoughts about the disk drive industry and the PC industry. In my opinion your statement alone suggests this is a paper worthy of reading and understanding, which I will do. However, I will make an early comment. I think Seagate's clear distancing away from its version of the "vertical" model suggests that not all "vertical integration" strategies are the same. The recent news that Seagate will sell its motor manufacturing assets to Nidec is more evidence of a move they have quietly been undertaking for some time. I should also mention that MaxMedia is heavily rumored to be for sale and that the company (always organized as a separate unit from Maxtor) is in discussions with a Taiwan based media manufacturer. There is a change underway in the industry amongst the American manufacturers in my opinion. It seems to me to be distinctly different from what is becoming more and more a Japanese model where new commitments to vertical integration are apparent among companies like Fujitsu and IBM-Japan. So. the question in my mind is more along the lines of whether there really is a divergence of strategy and, if there is, what is it likely to develop into?
I will get back to you. As soon as I have some time and can find a pocket dictionary, I will study that paper, and offer some comments.
P.S. what an amazing election
Best,
Stitch |
