Scotsman, I fully agree with you. It may come to pass that the PC market starts resembling the car market. You can buy the low
end PC or a Metro(god, that's an ugly car), which both provide
basic functionality, or buy a BMW, 333Mhz model.
Me, I went low end, with a display that exceeded 50% of the system cost, and software add-ons that added another 50%. Now, I just
want a cable modem and the opportunity to pay $40+/mo for cable access. The hardware is almost insignificant in the grand scheme
of things, and I tried to minimize the cost(I really wanted a 21" display,
but settled for a Sony 17").
But, I personally would never embrace the thin client model. I
don't want my Quicken files or TurboTax files resident on anyone
else's server, until capital punishment becomes a viable remedy
for a tortious act.
So, right now, I believe that the NC and sub $1k PC are on different
evolutionary paths. They don't compete with one another.
It does appear that the early earnings warning season is now in full bloom. I'm coming to the belief that one needs to have a holding
portfolio and a trading portfolio to capture the opportunities this
market volatility provides. Of course, one never knows whether
the current downdraft is another buying opportunity, or the beginning
of some unforseen bear market. Oh, well, if it's the beginning
of a bear, I'll just have to go back to work.
Carl |
