The personal computer world just never stops changing. In addition to Acer's buyout announcement involving Gateway, Inc. (NYSE: GTW), Quanta Computer -- the world's largest notebook computer contract manufacturer -- has just lost its CEO. Quanta, which makes notebook computers for such names as Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) and Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), witnessed the weekend resignation of CEO Michael Wang, which leaves quite a few questions unanswered in the personal computer space. Quanta is not a name known to many consumers, but the company has in many ways been responsible for the multi-billion dollar transition from desktop computers to notebook computers over the last few years.

Is Quanta about to be sold to Hon Hai Precision, which is Taiwan's largest electronics conglomerate and the world's largest contract manufacturer? Possibly, and this recent move may indeed signal what lies just ahead. Former CEO Wang was in disagreement with the company's co-founder (Barry Lam) over the strategic direction of Quanta, which no doubt revolved around the rumored impending sale of the company.

Hon Hai may be known better by the fact that it makes Apple's iPods. However, the one large electronics contracting segment it is weak in is notebook computer manufacturing. With notebooks displacing traditional desktop computer units as the PC of choice for a majority of consumers (and businesses as well), having a strong presence here would seem natural for the largest electronics contract manufacturer in the world.

I was doing laptop design and price research late last year and realized, in my opinion, that Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ)'s retail laptop computers seemed quite a bit more stylish and functional than similar offerings from rival Dell. HP's glossy consumer notebooks seemed to give more bang for the buck, had great new styling and in many cases, were cheaper from a local Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) store than a less-stylish (boring) laptop box direct from Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL)'s website. In addition, touching and feeling a laptop computer in a store makes buyers out of many as opposed to seeing a picture on a website. And recent history tells us HP surpassed Dell in global market share -- I wonder why?

Dell is obviously not resting on its laurels here, and is giving more and more of its laptop computer contract manufacturing business to Taiwanese firm Wistron, who right now may be the largest laptop system manufacturer for Hewlett-Packard as well. Remember those glossy and well-designed HP laptops I was talking about? They're all made by Wistron based on a design by HP. More and more market share in the PC industry is shifting to laptop systems instead of desktop systems, so for Dell to give new business to Wistron in addition to Compal (its largest contract manufacturer for laptops currently) makes perfect sense.

Dell's reported larger order from Wistron would make the Taiwanese company the second-largest maker of laptop systems for Dell. The one thing Dell needs in the sub-$1,000 consumer laptop market is design finesse, though. HP accomplished that in my opinion with Wistron, as just looking at newer HP consumer laptops gives me the feel of an Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) laptop system (to a point). With laptops having been boring flat boxes for so long, HP's design finesse comes shining through (and Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE: SNE) has a great design in laptops as well). In addition to signing on Wistron to make a ton more Dell laptop systems, can the Round Rock company get its act together in terms of a nicer design? Recent hire Ron Garriques may be able to accomplish that -- and it's desperately needed if Dell wants to start taking market share back from HP.