thread..read 'em and wipe if you are cpq putter
News Alert from Reuters via Quote.com
Topic: Compaq Computer Corp
Quote.com News Item #1539850
Headline: Compaq (NYSE:CPQ) exec sees strong first half 1997
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LAS VEGAS, Nev., Nov 18 (Reuter) - A senior executive of
Compaq Computer Corp said Monday he expects the company's
business to be excellent in the fourth quarter after a strong
third quarter, and to remain very good in first half of 1997.
"Certainly we see a tremendously strong business
environment," said Michael Winkler, senior vice president and
group general manager of Compaq's PC Product Group. "A major
upgrade cycle is now occurring," he added.
"We think the fourth quarter will be excellent," he said in
a presentation at the Comdex trade show. "Certainly for next
year we see a strong market continuing."
Winkler also said the challenge of producing a cheaper-to-
own, sealed desktop computer was complex, but Compaq expects to
have such a device next year.
"We fully intend to have sub-one thousand dollar
alternatives available for the business market as well as the
consumer market," he said. "I think we're looking at not too
far past the middle of next year for a sealed PC."
He said a 5.0 version of Microsoft Corp's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows
NT could also help businesses close in on a target of a
zero-administration-cost desktop machine.
"I do think the sealed PC will be out there early in the
second half next year," he said. "Customers would like us to
reach the sub-one-thousand-dollar level."
Despite arguments by Sun Microsystems Inc (NASDAQ:SUNW), Oracle
Corp (NASDAQ:ORCL) and other backers of trimmed-down Network
Computers, he said that no vendor yet controls the market for
reduced cost meachines, adding that the cost of buying a PC
itself was minor compared to the maintenance costs.
"A lot resides on the customer," he added, noting that
roughly half of costs were related to end-user operations.
"The answer we believe is that there is no one answer," he |
