Tony,
Adam posted the WSJ article, and they do try to make it bad news with slowing growth:
<The reports from International Data Corp., a research firm based in Framingham, Mass., and Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner Group in San Jose, Calif., both indicated that PC-sales growth slowed somewhat in the first quarter from the year-earlier period. IDC found that worldwide PC shipments rose 20% to 30.4 million units in the quarter. A year ago, IDC found PC sales growing at 21% in the first quarter.
Dataquest, meanwhile, pegged worldwide growth in the first quarter at 15%, down from 17% a year earlier. IDC and Dataquest often differ in some respects of their analysis because the two firms use different methodologies, although they generally indicate the same broad trends.>
Still, with all the talk of Y2K lockdowns in Jan/Feb, an argument can be made that demand is very good. Even the most negative analysts are projecting accelerating demand growth through the end of the year.
From the paranoid recesses of my mind: Has anyone posited that MSFT might have been sandbagging in their results and outlook? They are at a critical junction for their future, vs. the government, and they might have wanted to come off as poor little Microsoft with slowing sales. Also, a lower stock price might increase political pressure from the many MSFT shareholders for a more Microsoft friendly decision. Just a random paranoid delusion to explain the discrepancy between the equipment makers outlook and MSFT's much more negative guidance.
CPQ this afternoon, I beleive? That may help make the picture a little more clear. Hope they don't throw mud at Intel re: supply.
John |
