Imagine you’re Dell Computer. Here’s the situation: Business is off, you’re losing market share and the stock price is way down. Do you:
A) Find some under appreciated market segment and try to expand it ala the iPod?
B) Crank out compelling new computer designs and crush the competition?
C) Cut back and hope to weather the economic storm?
D) Blatantly ape Apple and release a smartphone?

Right now there are no wrong answers but analysts are saying that Dell could be coming out with a smartphone as soon as next month. Shaw Wu says this:

We believe it is likely inevitable that Dell enter the cellphone space given the cannibalization of PCs by smartphones and highly functional mobile devices.

We all know analysts are never wrong so take that to the bank. To make the deal even sweeter for wanna be DEll smartphone users the speculation is that Dell will skip Android and use the third or fourth tier of Mobile OSes: Windows Mobile. Good luck with that Dell. We predict flashbacks of the Dell DJ and Dell Ditty.

On the other hand if Dell cranked out a really nice netbook with a persistent 3G connection built in that would be a different story. But that is something Apple doesn’t have and who wants a smallish computer that is always connected to the internet? That is just pure crazy talk, people much prefer dongles and dealing with a carrier and computer manufacturer seperately. Nope, no dough in providing an always connected solution, it isn’t like people are carrying around netbooks and hitting WI Fi hotspots just to get some work done. 

via: Wired