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Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Salah Mohamed who wrote (77118)	1/29/2000 8:49:00 PM
From: Andreas	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

To Thread; I lifted the following quote from the zoo which is attributed to this week's Barron's. Any truth to it? "...if you are tired of paying through the nose for Dell and aren't inclined to bet that the third time around on earnings will be a charm, it might be time to look at the other box-maker in the Lone Star State. Compaq Computer is on the comeback trail." Question #2 - Does anyone have the name of the billionaire from the Middle East who allegedly bought 2% of cpq? Thanks folks!!

To: Salah Mohamed who wrote (77118)	1/29/2000 10:41:00 PM
From: Night Writer	Respond to of 97611

Salah, I caught the delay on the NT on Alpha charges. I wonder if it is delayed for some positive reason not being announced. Manybe no one is interested in it because they are happily running UNIX now, or NT on Alpha isn't dead yet. Remember MFST is developing 64 bit NT on Alpha. What I'm unhappy about is the slow pace of the 7,000 head count reduction. The 2000 reduction could have been accomplished by not replacing people who retired or left. The longer a reduction is put off the more difficult and demoralizing it can be to an organization. MC neeeds to appoint or hire a black hat to drive the reduction and get it over with. 1Q evaluations may not be so forgiving if some real progress on this issue is not made. NW

To: Salah Mohamed who wrote (77118)	1/29/2000 11:34:00 PM
From: rupert1	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

Salah: Capellas had a long time to work out the algebra of his announcements - too bad that the market is left discussing what he really said and what he really meant. Even after a couple of days, you are still labouring to explain it. Why do you think I have an obligation to check with the company before I make a comment on a report by other posters who, in turn, were relying on a Reuters report of Capellas statements? If a media source has it wrong then sooner or later we will find out. That's one of the functions of this board. For the record I reiterate the main point of my post with some elaboration: COMPAQ met the lowered estimates of 16 cents for 4Q and sold $50 million (after tax) of their investments to bump the number up to 19 cents. Capellas said he intended to use the investment portfolio as a regular profit centre and Dan Niles commented that they would do this by monetizing the COMPAQ investment portfolio as they did in 4Q. My comment was that this gives them a kind of slush fund by which they can continue to meet estimates in the future (or exceed them by whatever margin they want) by selling off chunks of their investments each quarter. Instead of lecturing me on making "wild statements" what about addressing the point? I have always appreciated your informative posts and links. I would regret it if you got caught up in the El's rather obvious personal agenda by falling in with his pretentious self-appointment as monitor of good taste and protocol. It would be better if you responded to me directly. I think COMPAQ has made a mistake in turning Alta Vista into a portfolio investment rather than an operating asset contributing a genuine new source of renewable revenues. But now that the deed has been done I think the monetizing of it and the other investments is a good thing, however it is done. It makes perfect sense to me. But in an earlier post I pointed out that however regular COMPAQ monetizes its investment assets and makes them a profit centre, Wall Street will always treat the scheme with caution. They will want to evaluate COMPAQ on the performance of its core business. The reaction of CNBC, Merril Lynch, Barrons and others on the quality of the 19 cents demonstrates this.