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Dell spreads iPad FUD

I'm still trying to make sense of the comments made to CIO Australia by Dell's global head of marketing for large enterprises and public organisations, Andy Lark, regarding the iPad.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer

I'm still trying to make sense of the comments made to CIO Australia by Dell's global head of marketing for large enterprises and public organisations, Andy Lark, regarding the iPad.

I've come to the conclusion that the comments are either ill-informed or just pure FUD. I'll let you decide which.

Here's the first comment that caught my eye:

"Apple is great if you've got a lot of money and live on an island. It's not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex."

OK, so if the iPad makes "simple things become quite complex" then how about elaborating about how a Windows 7 or Android Honeycomb will help. I don't expect anyone at Dell to say that iOS is better than its offerings, but I do expect more substance to the argument.

Here's the second comment that stood out:

"An iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you'll be at $1500 or $1600; that's double of what you're paying," he claimed. "That's not feasible."

Hmmm, really?

  • iPad 3G = WiFi 64GB = $829
  • Leather Smart Cover (the most expensive) = $69
  • iPad keyboard dock = $69
  • Mouse ... mouse??? Who needs a mouse to operate the iPad?!

Total = $967. That's far, far short of the "$1500 or $1600" Lark was talking about (unless Dell has plans for some super-expensive iPad accessories ... maybe a mouse?).

FUD. FUD. FUD.

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