🚀 go-pugleaf

AL RASHID SHAHIR (alrashi@ecf.toronto.edu) wrote:
OS/2> In article <9301204372@ritz.mordor.com> ritz@ritz.mordor.com (Christopher Mauritz) writes:
OS/2> >AL RASHID SHAHIR (alrashi@ecf.toronto.edu) wrote:
OS/2> >
OS/2> >OS/2> Oh yes, you say the future is in IBM? Fat chance from a 
OS/2> >OS/2> company just about to fold!!!
OS/2> >
OS/2> >Bahahahahaha!  IBM is the largest computer manufacturer in the
OS/2> >world.  It is so entertaining hearing a user of Atari products
OS/2> >predicting the "fold"ing of IBM.  I think I'm going to have to put
OS/2> >that one in my .sig.
OS/2> >
OS/2> Largest computer manufacturer in the world? Hmm, could you tell me where you
OS/2> got that interesting snippet of info? Do you use an "IBM" product? (NOT a 
OS/2> compatible) In fact, isn't it true that compatible makers pay nothing to IBM?
OS/2> (Or at least, next to nothing - but I'm pretty sure it's nothing) As for its
OS/2> "folding", have you seen the losses IBM are taking? They're RISC market is 
OS/2> close to dead. They're PC market is so bad, they had to release a "pure 
OS/2> compatible" (ie Ambra). They had to lose x hundred thousand jobs all over the
OS/2> world just recently. Why don't you put all this into your .sig? Then again,
OS/2> its pretty entertaining to see a "compatible" user who doesn't even know the
OS/2> current business status of the company that he's supposedly supporting!

Listen, pal, I know exactly what's going on at IBM.  The pc business is
a small slice of IBM's total business.  They still make the vast majority
of their money making/supporting mainframe and minicomputers.  If they
never sold another PC product they could still remain in business.

However, IBM has realized that the mainframe market is dwindling and
that they would like to become more competetive in the PC market.
So they laid off people and took an operating loss.  Big deal.  Why
don't you check and see how many public companies have taken big
operating losses and are still around.  Big Blue is still
AA rated by Standard and Poors and they have virtually no debt.
They have been paying out a 10.5% yield on the stock and they
have very deep pockets.  I'm hoping that IBM will cut the dividend
to 0% and use that money for R&D.  I think that after they lumber
around for a few quarters, IBM will get its act together and 
their stock will start to appreciate again.  I think its a damn
good buy at $46.  The book value of the company is between
$60-70/share.

Anyway, what does this have to do with Atari?  Absolutely nothing.
If you want to continue this debate, I invite you to do so by
email or in comp.os.os2.advocacy.

Cheers,

Chris
--
Christopher Mauritz                 | My views reflect those of my
ritz@ritz.mordor.com                | company since I own the company.
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