The article which you posted was available in Post 21651. The hypothesis, and I'm paraphrasing, is "Are Sub 1,000 PCs selling like hot cakes?" Conclusion obviously is no, and then some statistics are presented to support the conclusion. I'll post my response again:
<Odyssey also said that thirty percent of online households, or about 7 million households, have made a personal purchase from home in the last six months, a 50 percent increase from one year ago.>
Compaq also sells computers online. Their brand name recognition should be a plus in this area. I think that a 3% increase in the number of January 98 first time buyers from January 97 first time buyers is certainly better than the 17% decrease of first time
buyers in January 97 from January 96. Also, has time goes on the number of first time buyers in relation to repeat buyers will necessarily go down, because the available pool of first time buyers is decreasing. The numbers cited would have been more useful if
the total number of households with computers versus households without computers were given (I'm assuming that the numbers refer to American buyers). I really think that the sub 1,000 PCs are going to be gobbled up by Asia, where I believe the volumes will justify the low margins. When Asia's financial problems finally get straightened out, and when DEC is assimilated by CPQ, CPQ should be able to capitalize on the high and low end market.
E.H.F. |
