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11. Why the Streak?

Dell wants to compete in the tablet market against Apple’s iPad. But it’s doing so with a 5-inch tablet running on Google’s Android platform, called the Streak. The Streak looks to be a well-designed product, and given the success of Android, it could do well. But Dell’s decision to focus its efforts on the Streak is troubling. The company is performing poorly in the computing space. It should be focusing its time there first.

22. Its HP Strategy

Dell’s top competitor is HP. Although Acer continues to capture more market share from Dell, and soon will be the world’s top PC manufacturer, Dell has more to worry about with HP. The reason why is simple: HP is a U.S.-based firm with the goal of targeting the same companies as Dell. So far, HP has been far more successful. And for the most part, Dell has done little to stop it. The time has come for Dell to start improving its HP strategy.

33. The Corporate World Awaits

When Dell was on top of its game, the company was delivering some of the best corporate PCs in the space. Today, it’s still doing a good job of offering solid products, but HP and Lenovo are doing a better job. Dell must find ways to target corporate customers. It won’t be easy, since HP is so entrenched in that market, but if Dell wants to turn things around (and it should), it’s a necessity.

44. Where’s the Vision?

One of Dell’s hallmarks during its successful years was its vision. The company knew what it needed to do in order to be successful. And it was able to achieve that with several successful products, including desktops, notebooks, and even hand-helds, like the Dell Axim. Today, Dell doesn’t seem to have that vision. It’s simply meandering its way through a market trying to figure out what to do next. That’s not the Dell of old.

55. Alienware

When Dell acquired Alienware, some wondered how the company would use the computers from the boutique vendor. Unfortunately, it hasn’t managed the Alienware brand all that well. In fact, it’s simply providing consumers with supposedly high-end computers at a premium without helping the Dell brand all that much. It’s a mistake. Alienware has a long pedigree of providing outstanding computers that are designed well. Why isn’t Dell capitalizing on that?

66. Apple or HP?

Dell seems to see value in the business models of both Apple and HP. On one hand, it sees Apple innovating and delivering unique new products and it wants to capitalize on that. On the other hand, it sees the practicality of following an HP-like business strategy. All the while, it’s unsure of what it really is. That needs to stop. Dell needs to determine if it wants to be a hardware provider or a computer maker. In any case, it should follow the path it chooses and not venture into unknown territories.

77. Its Focus

Following that, maybe it’s time that Dell starts focusing more of its efforts on computers. After all, computers were how Dell became the company that it is today. And it’s arguably the product that it understands best. By focusing its efforts there, Dell can go back to its roots, deliver a best-in-class product, and then worry about other markets. Apple might be making billions of dollars, but that doesn’t mean that Dell can follow suit. Apple is a special case with a vastly different corporate culture. Dell should embrace that and realize that it doesn’t need to be Apple to be successful.

88. There’s Value In Windows Versions of All Kinds

Dell is one of Microsoft’s biggest software partners. It sells millions of computers each year with Windows. But in the mobile market, Dell has decided to follow Google’s Android platform. It might not be such a bad idea, given how successful Android has become, but what about Windows Phone 7? Microsoft’s mobile OS might not be as successful as Android in the short-term, but by virtue of it coming from Microsoft, it has a lot of value to corporate customers. And for now, that should be where Dell is focusing much of its efforts.

99. Price or Value

Dell needs to decide if it wants to compete on price or on value. In the tech industry, there are two types of companies: those who are capable of beating the competition with cheaper prices and those that deliver a superior product for a premium price. Dell is neither. Currently, its computers and accessories are not premium products offered at a premium price. And although it still makes fine products, it’s not beating the competition on price. Dell is decidedly middle-of-the-road. That’s not a good place to be for Dell.

1010. There Is No Experience

A major issue for Dell (and just about every other tech company in the space) is that it doesn’t provide an experience in its products the way Apple does. When a user picks up an Apple product, they know what they’re getting. But when someone opens up a Dell computer, they’re getting the same basic experience as that of an HP machine. It’s not a good thing. Dell products lack the user experience that would make them unique in the marketplace. And the longer that happens, the worse it will be for the company.

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