[geeks] Amusing HP interview

[Gavin Hubbard]

Hi Lads

HP emailed me some promotional stuff that included a link to the following interview:

http://h50053.www5.hp.com/enewsletter/perspective/news/news_item6.html

I found the second to last question and answer quite revealing:

"Q: Has it been difficult educating HP customers of Itanium?

Yes, because we have the flat earth society out there. If you go to the people who thought the earth was flat they believe there is a paradigm and you have got customers who believe this is true. "This can't possibly be true. You have this Itanium stuff and I have heard it all before and you can't demonstrate it and it will never happen," they say. So they believe the earth was flat and you drop off the edge. This is the same with our competitors too. They want the flat earth society to keep existing, because they don't want people to wake up and smell the roses. People are just not taking it up as well as we would like them too. But in the long term it is a winner. "

Am I the only person who thinks that insulting your customers is not the way to promote your product strategy?

Regards,

Gavin