4 ms·

The public never had an opportunity to use Watson. They should have forgotten; it wasn't for them. IBM's marketing department, at least at one time, understood

The public never had an opportunity to use Watson. They should have forgotten; it wasn't for them. IBM's marketing department, at least at one time, understood that public recognition drove sales in the boardroom. Stripping the company of any and every product that was consumer or consumer adjacent hurt their recognition and reputation. Of course, this is just one of many reasons IBM is less of a company today.

mouse_ 3y ago
I'll never forgive them for selling ThinkPad to China. Imagine what the PC landscape could look like today if one could still buy a proper IBM laptop.
- jacooper 3y ago
  Thinkpads are still designed in america, and its still basically an american company, just with a different owner. Same thing applies to Motorola and other lenovo acquisitions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g7WrTuL5AQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g7WrTuL5AQ
- Clamchop 3y ago
  End of an era for sure. To rhyme with another response on this post, another phase in IBM's retreat from public consciousness. I do think maintaining some brand lustre in consumer-facing products for lines of business where it at all makes sense is a potent recipe for excitement in enterprise etc.
7thaccount 3y ago
Well, there is also the issue that Watson isn't an actual product. They used the jeopardy game to get brand recognition, but the customers don't get that. They get a team of contractors to hobble together whatever open source software or IBM products are out there to build you a super expensive "AI" product with what seems like a significant rate of failure (conjecture based on internet comments over numerous failures). So there was never anything for the public to interact with in the same manner as they can with ChatGPT.
- tekchip 3y ago
  This is dead on. IBM pulls publicity stunts, often achieved by brute force. Then, it uses that marketing to sell contracts to customers whom they promise the world then, typically, fail to deliver on. Or as noted deliver on in the most basic way often by contractors and/or fellows (fancy word for contractors). But the money is paid, and the contract signed, so IBM got theirs. Rins repeat. Pretty easy to look back and see their amazing "innovation" every 5-10 years, which never results in any lasting product. In the in-between time, they farm employee IP via contracts taking all past and future rights, and profit on that IP ownership for no ones benefit but the IBM management. Disgusting company. Pour one out for Redhat.
deleted 3y ago
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mouse_ 3y ago

I'll never forgive them for selling ThinkPad to China. Imagine what the PC landscape could look like today if one could still buy a proper IBM laptop.

jacooper 3y ago
Thinkpads are still designed in america, and its still basically an american company, just with a different owner. Same thing applies to Motorola and other lenovo acquisitions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g7WrTuL5AQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g7WrTuL5AQ
Clamchop 3y ago
End of an era for sure. To rhyme with another response on this post, another phase in IBM's retreat from public consciousness. I do think maintaining some brand lustre in consumer-facing products for lines of business where it at all makes sense is a potent recipe for excitement in enterprise etc.

7thaccount 3y ago

Well, there is also the issue that Watson isn't an actual product. They used the jeopardy game to get brand recognition, but the customers don't get that. They get a team of contractors to hobble together whatever open source software or IBM products are out there to build you a super expensive "AI" product with what seems like a significant rate of failure (conjecture based on internet comments over numerous failures). So there was never anything for the public to interact with in the same manner as they can with ChatGPT.

tekchip 3y ago
This is dead on. IBM pulls publicity stunts, often achieved by brute force. Then, it uses that marketing to sell contracts to customers whom they promise the world then, typically, fail to deliver on. Or as noted deliver on in the most basic way often by contractors and/or fellows (fancy word for contractors). But the money is paid, and the contract signed, so IBM got theirs. Rins repeat. Pretty easy to look back and see their amazing "innovation" every 5-10 years, which never results in any lasting product. In the in-between time, they farm employee IP via contracts taking all past and future rights, and profit on that IP ownership for no ones benefit but the IBM management. Disgusting company. Pour one out for Redhat.

deleted 3y ago

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