HP: Computers for deadbeats

Dell has grown fat on the mistakes of Hewlett Packard. But with new management at HP, is life growing tougher for Dell? It is too early to say with certainty, especially as Dell’s sales are still growing faster than HP’s. But there are some trends that bear watching. Dell’s sales were $300m less than management expected in the second quarter. Moreover, the group’s growth rate has slowed for six quarters in a row. This is partially the law of large numbers. But Dell admits that computers are now...