fans turn up heat for a place at fireside chat with michael dell
Blame it on the fireside chat.
Shortly after the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce invited members to what it called 'a fireside chat' with Michael Dell this Friday, his company caught fire.
The company, which built its rise to being the world's biggest personal computer maker on a direct-sales strategy, yesterday set another landmark by recalling 4.1 million notebook computer batteries, the biggest consumer electronic products withdrawal ever, on worries that they might burst into flames.
So much for the joke. The prospect of meeting Mr Dell, according to the chamber the longest-tenured executive to lead a computer company, met a hot response from people keen to meet a man who stuck his name on every machine he made. We are told 300 members signed up for the afternoon meeting, including Wharf vice-chairman Stephen Ng Tin-hoi.
No doubt Mr Dell's insights will be high-powered enough to win redemption for the battery blow-outs. At least a fireside chat will be cooler than braving the heatwave outside.