Dell On Possible Smartwatch : ‘We’re exploring ideas in that space’
Not many people are interested in full-on pre-configured desktop PCs anymore and so Dell is forced to look at other form factors in order to remain afloat.
Dell is considering a move into the “wearable computing” space. Sam Burd, Dell’s global vice-president of personal computing, told the Guardian that “we’re exploring ideas in that space”.
“There are challenges in cost, and how to make it a really good experience,” Burd said. “But the piece that’s interesting is that computers are getting smaller. Having a watch on your wrist – that’s pretty interesting, pretty appealing.”
The comments suggest that Dell is considering a smartwatch, rather than an entirely new hardware paradigm such as Google Glass.
Dell has tried to take a bite of the mobile market before, but has struggled to make a success of it. TheDell Streak, the company’s 5-inch mini-tablet, showed significant promise but failed to convince the market that Android on a larger screen made sense; ironically, shortly after Android phones began rapidly increasing in screen-size, so that now the Streak’s display actually looks mid-sized.
With falling revenue matching only the slumped demand for traditional computers, the company announced a leveraged buyout of the company in February of this year by founder Michael Dell.
The buyout was set at $24.4bn but recently company directors have asked for more money, indicating that the board no longer feels confident that the deal will find shareholder approval when it comes to the vote on July 18.
[Via]
