Dell Googles itself
Tells Microsoft 'It's been great, but...'
Posted in Small Biz, 26th May 2006 11:54 GMT
Increase your knowledge of the latest threats to your busines
Dell broke the heart of another long time amour this week, ditching Microsoft in favour of Google as the pre-installed search engine on its machines.
According to a rash of US reports, Eric Schmidt told an investor conference yesterday that Dell PCs are to be Googled, with the search giant's desktop, toolbar, search engine, and home page all lovingly pre-installed. Previously, Dell customers would see their new machines spark into life plastered with Microsoft logos. The tie-up will cover the vendor's SME and consumer machines, according to reports, and may extend to some enterprise systems.
This is the second time in a fortnight that Dell has called a long-time partner and said: "We need to talk."
Dell, the quintessential Wintel house, announced last week that it would for the first time use AMD parts in its hardware.
In a third piece of desperate shape shifting, the vendor which pioneered the direct model to market announced this week that it would open its own retail outlets in the US.
Anyone would think Round Rock's finest was trying to invent itself in the face of slowing revenue growth and sliding profits Hang-on, it has just reported slowing revenue growth and sliding profits.
Is the world's biggest PC vendor having some sort of mid-life crisis? Here at El Reg we're dreading the moment Michael calls us and says, "it's not you, it's me", before kick starting his newly-bought Harley and riding off into the sunset, singing "I want to break free". ®
See what The Register's experts have to say on application security


The future of SaaS and IT infrastructure management
Should your email live in the cloud: a comparative cost analysis
Hosted security IT manager's guide
Securing your Apache web server with a Thawte digital certificate

Win a Samsung C6625!
Is your cameraphone an oxymoron?
Windows 7, Bing and security: Mr Ballmer regrets
Sign up, sign up for The Register IT security newsletter