HP's PC money came from retail, while Compaq had a profitable Web-based business.

FORBES: Magazine Article

While Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems were adding features and processing power to their pricey servers, RLX would steal the low end of the market.

FORBES: Attack From Below

As I wrote last June, its value chain let Dell set its costs 14% below those of competitors like Compaq (that HP bought in 2002) while charging companies a 13% higher price because of the convenience its online purchasing process gave companies who could order PCs configured for their specific requirements.

FORBES: As Corporate IT & iPad Demand Rise, Dell's Up, HP's Down