The Enterprise of Dell 1
Running Head: The Enterprise of Dell
The Enterprise of Dell
Nathan A. A. Beyer
Maryville University of St. Louis
The Enterprise of Dell 2
Abstract
Since their debut in 1984, Dell Computers has risen to the top as a model for personal
computer suppliers. Dell is the first company to not only sell custom built computers but also
back their product with technicians that will visit consumers’ home. Many question if dell will
be able to compete in the industry with growing rivals such as Apple and the business savvy
IBM. Dell Computers have strived to be “cool” for the college students just like Apple and yet
be technology equipped for the business world just like IBM. It is a war in the product itself that
has caused Dell to succeed over the years being the perfect in between, but it has also been the
cause of the company’s decline in sales over the most recent years, not being “cool” enough for
this day in age.
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In 1984 a man by the name Michael Dell had a vision of selling computers directly to the
consumer and to skip the middle man (the dealer). He began with only $1,000 dollars and an
idea. He wanted to build the computers as the orders came in so that they were created
accordingly to the buyers needs. In 1985 Dell mesmerized customers with customer service that
no one could match. (Dell, 2009) He was the first in the market to offer IT technicians to travel
to the customer’s homes and offices for assistance. In four years Dell increased their market
capitalization from $1,000 dollars to $85 million dollars. In 1989 Dell created their first
notebook with the help of John Medica who was also the mind behind the Apple PowerBooks. It
was 1993 and Dell wanted to stay in the competition with a sleek and well rounded designed
notebook and John Medica was the perfect man to do because he was mind behind the Apple
PowerBooks. In 2000 Dell came out with their first notebook with built in Wi-Fi. (Delll
Timeline, 2009) And in the present year 2009 Dell will come out with a new line of computers
with a full glass screen, assorted colors, an aluminum body, and a fashionable sleek clean finish.1
Dell has accomplished what some companies could only dream of doing. They became
one of the top five computer making companies in the world in only nine years. (Dell, 2009)
They are now sold everywhere, online, at stores like Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. They run the
home computer.
Dell Computers’ have strived to sell their computers as the all in one computer for
college students and business and that is how they marketed them. When beginning this textual
analysis I began to look at the exact places in which Dell Computers were being sold. I, myself,
purchased my Dell Inspiron at a kiosk at the West County Mall in St. Louis. It was interesting to
1
http://www.adamobydell.com/
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see how Dell would sell their business savvy computer too college students while there was an
Apple store just a couple feet from their kiosk.
The Dell kiosk was small and consisted of two employees around the age 30 to 40 that
wore khaki pants with a blue button down shirt with the word “DELL” embroidered onto their
shirts. The employees were relaxed sitting on stools while being surrounded by all different
models of Dell’s computers and Televisions. The kiosk was a light wood rectangle consisting of
matching shelves. When you walk up to a computer you were welcomed and offered assistance.
There focus was to sell to college students. Their advertisements on television proved this and
the simple fact that most high school and college students were and are looking into computers to
better their education. Dell’s goal was to sell to the students who wanted to be serious. They
push the idea of being organized and being able to be detailed charts with ease while using
Microsoft Windows.
If you look at the photos of the Apple store at the last few pages of this report you will
see an entrance made of glass walls and a sign made to look like their Mac Book. It is silver
with their signature apple in the middle. When you look inside the store, you will see light wood
floors and high matching tables. In the children’s section you will find black chairs in the shape
of balls to show create a modern look to match the store. What you will not find are salesmen in
ties acting prestige waiting to jump on you as soon as you walk into the store. What you will
find are salesmen in jeans with bright colored blue, teal, and orange shirts. All employees seem
to be in the ages of 20 to 35. You will first be welcomed by a man in an orange shirt; they are
type people that help the customers find their desired purchases. Then you will find a salesman
who wears a teal shirt, these are the only people that can sell the final purchase. After finding
what it is that you want, someone will guide you to these people to help you finalize on all of
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your purchases. After owning your Apple you may run into a problem and if this is so then you
will walk to the “Genius Bar” where someone wearing a Blue shirt will be more than happy to
help you.
Apple and Dell are both some of the largest computer retailers in the world, and both of
their focuses are on high school and college students. Apple sells their product using stores in
malls and on the web. They higher young employees that look just like college students so that
they can relate to their buyers artistic and fun attitude, selling not only a computer but life style
filled of music and photography. Dell on the other hand have employed salesmen in a higher age
group trying to sell to those who know what they want and don’t need as many options as a store
may give and who are ready to get down to work. Their kiosk allows this to happen by giving
buyers only a selected amount of choices with a clean cut look and yet easy to use for any
project.
Dell’s strategy has worked for many years and has risen to the top in the retail market of
computers, but will it prevail against Apple’s new look and their focus on students love of not
only technology but of music and photography. The answer is not definite but the sign of Dell’s
decline in favoritism has defiantly been shown in their marketing .
After searching for a Dell Kiosk once again, I ran into a problem. The issue was that, not
only is there no such thing as a Dell Kiosk in the St. Louis area but also, there are no Dell
employees that we, as consumers, can talk to face to face. This means that Dell has to turn to a
different style of sales. Now days, you can find Dell computers at stores such as Wal-Mart and
Best Buy. Dell also suggests that if someone is to purchase one of their computers that they
visit their online website. When I went to Wal-Mart I saw a line of computers from HP to Dell,
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to Sony. It was surprising to find that there were only two Dell models, and they looked just
like the HP computers and the Apple computers. In the pictures below you will find a Dell
computer with the center of the back screen with the dell logo. This is very similar to Apple’s
apple in the center of their notebooks. You will also find a glossy finish on the body of the
computer just like the HP computers.
Dell Computers are made for everyone. It looks professional, which is great for the
office, and yet it is diverse in your every need for college. When I ordered my Dell Inspiron
E1405 I looked at the salesman and told him everything thing that I wanted to do such as burn
DVD’s, play CD’s, consist of a Bluetooth card and have Windows Vista Home and Office
edition. It has a silver plastic body with white lining and a chrome power button. The hinges of
my screen have become loose several times since I purchased my notebook in April of 2007 and
I have had to get it repaired once already. It consist of an easy to use control panel with chrome
buttons for music and movies but it can only be accessed through Dell’s “Media Direct”
entertainment program. The mouse’s sidebar scoller is no longer working and when the
computer was delivered to me the “B” button was not working properly. Other than that my Dell
computer has worked very well for me. As a college student I have been able to make Power
Points, write papers, connect to Wi-Fi, and download and listen to music. It has accomplished
all of my needs. Even if the Dell body is about to break at any moment on my Insprion E1405
the Microsoft Windows has yet to fail me.
Dell has now lost one of their best features, the ability of being personable. Dell creates a
cheap project affordable to college students and small business, and this is what draws buyers in.
It’s a quick fix to all of their needs. Not only has Dell given up and now sells their products
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through unknowledgeable salesmen at Wal-Mart but Dell it self has become the Wal-Mart of
computers. It is the versatile computer made for everyone, “that doesn’t know better”.
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Bibliography
Corportation, D. C. (2009). Companyl Timeline. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from
www.dell.com:
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/about_dell/company/history/history?c=us&
l=en&s=corp
Guth, R. A., Scheck, J., & Clark, D. (January 4, 2008). Window dressing: PC Makers Take A
Stylish Turn To Tackle Apple; Pink, Spotted Laptops Aimed at New Buyers; Designers Rule at
Dell. The Wall street Journal , p. A.1.
Magretta, J. (1998, March). THE POWER OF VIRTUAL INTEGRATION: AN INTERVIEW
WITH DELL COMPUTER'S MICHAEL DELL. Harvard Buisness Review , 76(2), 72-84.
Serwer, A. L. (2005, March 7). The Education of Michael Dell. (Cover story). Fortune ,
151(5),72-82.
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The two in the front are two Dell Computers.