现代大学英语（精读）笫三册——lesson3.ppt

Lesson Three Michael Dell’s Two-Billion-Dollar Dream? Pre-class question: What do you know about Michael Dell? Warming-up expressions oil tycoon/ business prospects/ a business order/ a competitive edge/ business license/ inventory and overhead/ custom-made computers/ surplus stock/a sales quota/ a retail price/ added value/ the opportunity of a lifetime/ direct marketing/ a law firm/ accounting basics/ on- site service/ wholly owned subsidiaries/ a civic center/ end users Background Michael Dell Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965 in Houston, Texas) is an American businessman. He attended the University of Texas at Austin intending to become a physician. While in university, he started a computer company called PCs Limited in his dormitory room. Dell’s Experiences Dell began the business manufacturing personal computers with some radical ideas, including maintaining no finished-goods inventories and practically no component inventories, building only to order, and selling and delivering the completed PC units direct to customers (direct sales). Dell’s Experiences The company became successful enough that Dell dropped out of college at the age of 19 to run the business full-time. In 1987, PCs Limited changed its name to Dell Computer Corporation, and in 2003, Dell, Inc. The company became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world, with sales of $35 billion and profits of $2 billion in 2002. Dell’s Experiences On March 4, 2004, Michael Dell stepped down as CEO of Dell but stayed as Chairman of the Board, while Kevin Rollins, then became President and CEO. Chief Executive Officer 执行总裁 Accolades for Dell Entrepreneur of the Year from Inc. (Incorporated) magazine; Man of the Year from PC Magazine; Top CEO in American Business from Worth Magazine; CEO of the Year from Financial World and Industry Week magazines. His fame and life In the 2005 publication of the Forbes 400, Dell was listed as the 9th richest man in the United States and the 1