As part of the restructuring, HP expects approximately 27,000 employees to exit the company, or 8.0% of its workforce as of Oct. 31, 2011, by the end of fiscal year 2014. The company is offering an early retirement program, so the total number of employees affected will be impacted by the number of employees that participate in the early retirement plan. Workforce reduction plans will vary by country, based on local legal requirements and consultation with works councils and employee representatives, as appropriate.

Because people aren't innovative. Cash in the bank is innovative.

"While we idle in interminable traffic, my coworker Nishant asks where I'm from. 'America?' he says. 'I'll tell you about America.'<br />
"I must look wary, because he quickly explains that, after years of 50-hour workweeks, he's probably spoken with more of my compatriots than I have. 'America is not all honey and roses the way they tell you,' he informs me. 'Truth is, 90 percent of the people there, you will find, they'll do the most stupid things, impulsive things. I know for a fact. At the same time, Americans are bighearted people, and the remaining 10 percent of them are smart. Bloody smart. That's why they rule the world.'"<br />
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Fascinating insight. The comments - including one from someone who admits they would be the idiot customer from hell - are also enlightening.

Includes some interesting reminiscences from the Apple chief exec from his boyhood. Note how cleverly he negotiates things with the councillors. "Do we get free Wi-Fi?" "I think we pay taxes and the council should do that.."

Basically, he goes around the press release. But since he pretty much dictated it, no surprise. Interesting that Apple takes this so seriously now, though. All we got was lots of 'no comment' last week.