HP Layoffs and Buying an HP Laptop?

I was on the verge of ordering a Pavilion dv6t-7000 this morning when I heard on the radio that HP is planning on laying off 25,000 people they employ.

Any ideas about whether this should factor into my purchase decision?

 

It might impact long term support, but it also might help improve the company in the long run. If you want to support a company on the basis of how many jobs are created, sure it should factor into your decision. Otherwise you'll want to just base the purchase off of the design, quality, and support structure as compared to their competitors.

 

Since HP doesn't exist in a economically stable bubble that protects them from the global financial crisis they are going to start chopping away at the most expensive and least profitable leg of their business; the american workforce. Hp's new ceo meg whitman is trying to take an aggressive approach towards controlling costs. And as is the practice with failing businesses HP will start with labor, move to benefits and last but not least quality. Not that HP can afford to lose what little reputation they have for providing quality, but what else can they do? I can imagine in the next few years HP will shut down most of it's outlet stores and start pulling away from the U.S. all together. Hp will most likely end up an entirely foreign company with an american name. Like ford, chevy, general motors etc.

What can we expect from this? For one calling customer support and speaking to John (pronounced mahmood karib sanjay al-sheepi) will be our only means of verbal communication with HP. It is highly unlikely they will continue to pay Americans 8/hr to answer phones when they can just as easily pay someone in India 30 cents an hour. I can only hope that our warranties aren't affected. But quality doesn't get better when companies go into panic mode.

Strangely enough HP is bigger and more profitable than Apple. And Apple is considered to be the most stable company on earth. Judging by how bad their quality control gotten for this years dv6/7 and how many people are flat out running away from hp, based on the comments in the ivy bridge dv6/7 owners lounge. I can only imagine they will be paying a high percentage on every notebook they sell this year in warranty service, over night shipping and returns.

Almost everyone who I have spoken to that has gotten a new computer from HP this year is considering returning it. That's scary, I feel bad as I have always like HP's designs and features but if that company is going down the crap shoot, American labor and quality is the first thing they will flush.

 

Not sure where you're getting your information but that's flat out wrong. Per the company's most recently filed SEC documents for their most recent fiscal years, HP had net income of $7.1B while Apple had net icome of $25.9B. Apple's market cap is $525 Billion while HP's market cap is only $44B.

I can attest to HP's crappy quality. I ordered 2 Envy 15" laptops and sent both back due to a variety of QC issues (many of the issues should have been noticed in a basic QC check).

As for the layoffs, it is a good thing as it is necessary for HP's long term survuval and should actually make HP stronger in the long term. I'd argue they should have laid off more than 8% of global workforce.

 

A company such as HP will be sure to honor any warranty or provide you with support regardless of those layoffs.

As far as build quality - my latest purchase was an HP DV6... this thing is ROCK SOLID. I've owned numerous laptops and tend to take great care of them... I must say that this thing is probably the most solid feeling that I've had yet. The build quality feels similar to a Lenovo.