The battle for Dell (DELL.DL) between founder Michael Dell and activist investor Carl Icahn is a multifaceted story. There is a general agreement that the future of the PC does not bode well for the company. The founder believes that the company needs to transition into becoming a high-level consulting firm like IBM, and that such a shift is better done behind the closed doors of a private company. Icahn sees value in the company's cloud computing investments and wants to see it unlocked for the benefit of shareholders.

In the video below, Fool contributor Doug Ehrman examines some of the forces that are causing Dell to change and how each side of the battle defines the company.