In a recent interview, GM Bruce Grove espoused his optimism for the technology beyond general hardware vendor collaborations.

ENGADGET

Advocating a cheaper, simpler replacement for its own products may seem like an odd strategy for a hardware vendor like Palo Alto, Calif.

FORBES: Magazine Article

High-performance computing hardware vendor SGI this morning said that non-GAAP profits for its fiscal second quarter ended December 28 were better than expected.

FORBES: SGI: Q2 Profits Beat; Revs Light; Sets $15M Buyback; Shrs Up

By integrating all these parts of the company, HP hopes to be known less as a hardware vendor, and more as a higher-margin strategic partner on big projects.

FORBES: HP's Move on IBM

Whether we are talking about single-use servers, specialized desktops or both, the opportunity for a hardware vendor to take Linux and create a unique and differentiable offering is stronger than ever before.

CNN: The future of desktop PCs

Try to use software from only one vendor and hardware from just another.

FORBES: Danger: The Worrisome Increase In IT System Complexity

The deal took place as part of a transaction in which Hayes took his company public by merging it into the already public Access Beyond, a small vendor of networking hardware.

FORBES: Pact with the devil

And, most importantly to investors, Apple has been able to achieve margins in technology hardware never before accomplished by another technology vendor through persistent, diligent, and relentless supply chain management.

FORBES: Why is Apple's P/E So Low, Part 2