CPQ is a buy, im(nsh)o. True, brand loyalty has been unheard of in the early PC market, but that will soon change.
Brand loyalty was once unheard of in the Internet market, too, but now there's just a few real players. Compaq -- though they're working on direct selling -- is still the only real player in retail store selling, which will become a bigger, not smaller, factor in the months and years to come.
Talk to local retailers about pricing, supply, and customer satisfaction, and see what they say. As the computer becomes more of an appliance, Dell is likely to become more of an early Sears (catalogue sales of Kenmore) while Compaq should be more of a Maytag. |
