In computer terms, “to boot” means to start or to begin. To re-boot is to re-start or to start over. As we all know from calling tech support to help us with a problem, we hearing it time and time again, “First, have you re-booted your computer?” And sure enough, it fixes about more than half of our computer problems. In fact, we don’t call support anymore without rebooting first.

Oh how loosely we use the term “reboot” these days…for example, “rebooting” a movie, ie. Spiderman, Karate Kid, Matrix etc. How about rebooting relationships? (What is the success of that one?) Friendships? While rebooting is good for computers, I can’t seem to agree with “rebooting” other things like Companies. This one really baffles me, HP. I don’t know what happened? Does anyone?

HP managed to self destruct themselves in a matter of days. First by following in the footsteps of IBM, HP is selling their PC division. I can see how this can work for IBM, but HP is clearly not IBM. Then after spending a ton of cash on developing a $500+ iPad competitor only to “dump” their tablets like it was toxic. It went from $500+ to $100 overnight. If you are one of the lucky few to get your hands on one these, that’s awesome! In an effort to “reboot” HP, they replaced their CEO Leo Apotheker with Meg Whitman the former CEO of e-bay. I think that is a move that will stop the bleeding, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the long run. Technology is such an unpredictable industry.

I honestly like HP and they make good, reliable and high-value products. But I sense that HP has lost its identity and was trying to be someone they are not. You can’t do something half-hearted and expect to succeed. Look at Apple. A company that stand behind their products and decisions. They live or die by it. They went from being a company that almost went bankrupt a few times to a company today with more cash than the US government. So I hope HP can successfully “reboot” themselves and put their hearts back into their products as they are a true American household name. I have seen too many good companies “reboot” themselves into history.