Hope and fear affect the way that investors evaluate alternatives.

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Without a fix, it could get worse, with Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek writing in a note to investors this week that more PC makers could start to evaluate alternatives to Windows, such as Apple's OS X and Linux.

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This is a serious task for board compensation committees, which, like their audit committee counterparts, will need to ensure their members have the skills to evaluate alternatives to traditional options and the independence to act on behalf of shareholders, not like rubber stamps for executives.

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"While we evaluate restructuring initiatives and strategic alternatives, we are committed to continuing to provide high-quality solar products to our global customer base, " Suntech CEO David King said in a statement.

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But splitting the company just about forces these valuable, reliable customers to re-evaluate their needs and other market alternatives.

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