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Technology Stocks : Dell Technologies Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SecularBull who wrote (36184)	3/31/1998 11:51:00 AM
From: Fangorn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 176388

LONG, That was the only thing Patterson could find that he could try to spin in a negative way. You must realize by now that he has no interest in understanding DELL but only in stirring up arguments. I for one will no longer enable him.

To: SecularBull who wrote (36184)	3/31/1998 1:55:00 PM
From: Jim Patterson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 176388

Ok, Long Yes, Some think M Dell is a business genesis. Yes he has done a very good job. Yes he has made a few mistakes. Yes, he was in the right spot at the right time. Yes, some of Dell's success can be attributed to the largest boom the PC market has ever had. Yes, they use a lot of technology to keep customers happy. 15 years ago, much of that technology did not exist. Yes, it is very apparent that DELL is primarily a part assembler with good customer relations. Yes, despite how dell tries to describe it, DELL outsourcers a lot of service and support Yes, In lea of inventory build, they "Steer" customers to something DELL has too much of. (Interesting that this can happen at an inventory less company) Yes, they have good relations with their suppliers. Yes, DELL picks and chooses what they sell and whom they sell it to based on the profit potential. Yes, their customer relations help a lot. Yes, They "steer" customers towards configurations that are available, which helps fine-tune the "balance" between supply and demand. (This is the one I don't understand) Yes, They are quick to respond to customer request that help in the management of large quantities of PC's Yes, the company has 30 people @ BA doing something other than selling PC. (Many people think DELL is mail order PC's only) Yes, the company has a great deal of Face to Face contact with customers. (Again, this is not something one would expect with the current emphasis one Internet sales. Also, How do you get face to face with a phone order system.) Yes, they help a lot. No, I don't care what MD himself does with his time. Yes, Dell is "not trying to invent new architecture ourselves" (read, this is a re statement that they really only want to be an assembler of PCs. IMO not a business that deserves a high multiple) Yes, if there is a shift in demand in the corporate world for much less expensive PCs, dell may find them SOL as they are not going to do that there is no money there. Yes, If DELL deviates from its model, it won't work any more. (Is this happening? Wang?) Yes, the company spends a large portion of free cash flow to repurchase shares. (This makes sure that when they will need some cash in the future, they won't have any.) There, That is my summation of the Harvard thing. Some of these are good, Some of them are not so good IMO, Some of them are not what many investors think is going on. Some of them don't matter. Jim