You are completely right on all counts except one
This means the end of POWER outside embedded one-offs. Even console makers will stay away from them.
Don't agree with your viewpoint on Ginni & Co., While I don't admire them for what they are doing (IBM is slowly self destructing itself) they are after all just trying to maximize shareholder value. The "in the long term" bit is missing from their mission statement, and that is very convenient for them since they are themselves shareholders and want to secure a nice retirement. Remember their "Roadmap 2015" initiative.
But it is the same with HP and others: the original founder's objective had nothing to do with shareholder value but for creating some valuable contributions to society and get rich as part of doing it. This no longer holds true, publicly held corporations are about maximizing profit now, not tomorrow. The invisible hand will take care of the rest. Or not.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
