Do you have a Toshiba laptop?

For the past three decades, Toshiba has been a major player in the laptop market.

Toshiba released its first laptop in 1985. Their famous T1100, which was sold in Europe, was one of the first laptops to make use of floppy disks. Based on their success with that model, they quickly expanded their operation and began selling laptops in the US and Japan.

Recently though, the Japanese powerhouse has reported that they're exiting the laptop business.

According to a recent announcement by Toshiba

"On June 30, 2020, under the terms of the share purchase agreement, Sharp exercised a call option for the remaining outstanding shares of Dynabook held by Toshiba, and Toshiba has completed procedures for their transfer."

That's significant because Dynabook is (or was) the division responsible for the production of Toshiba's laptops. As of now, Sharp owns Dynabook, lock, stock, and barrel.

Competition is winnowing out laptop makers

The company has developed and sold a number of popular models over the years. However, Toshiba struggled in the face of stiff competition from a variety of other players in the industry. And in 2015, the company faced a massive accounting scandal that cost them more than two billion dollars.

In the face of that scandal, they retrenched and restructured, selling a portion of their business to Sony to raise cash. Unfortunately, although the company made a heroic effort, it simply wasn't enough and though the business limped along for a few years after that, the writing was clearly on the wall.

Our perspective

It is then, the end of an era. If you currently own a Toshiba laptop, treat it with care. Although Sharp may provide some support for those currently in service, if they do, it won't be for very long. After that, if anything goes wrong, you'll be on your own.

~ W.A. Ward observed. "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” ~

 

By Denis Wilson and Melissa Stockwell

Thanks for reading this short post. For more tips on thriving with small business technology, check out the other blog posts at DWPIA Blogs. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Cybersecurity Expert, Small Business Technology Consultant, Managed Services Provider, Managed IT SupportI'm Denis Wilson, President and Principal Consultant for DWP Information Architects. We build people/process/technology solutions to create better business outcomes for smaller enterprises in Los Angeles. We have created cost-effective office productivity and out-sourced service solutions for over 20 years, focusing principally on manufacturing, professional services, and healthcare.  Our hallmarks are cloud and on-premises network reliability, cost-effective cybersecurity, and liveable small business regulatory compliance.

I am also a published author and speaker, working extensively with business and professional associations to provide small business technology education programs. Contact me if you would like me to speak at your association

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