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Technology Stocks : METRICOM - Wireless Data Communications -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim who wrote (1612)	7/31/1999 3:19:00 AM
From: PatrickMark	Respond to of 3376

Jim, Thanks for your reply. A couple of comments ... There are draw backs to stock buyers and potential users alike. Agree with you fully that there are drawbacks; stock buyers are looking at a sky-high valuation and substantial debt. Users are looking at compromises w/regards to coverage area, are gambling on deployment time-frame for the 128k and have to have some specific needs in order for Ricochet to make sense. In my case (speaking as a user) I researched Ricochet and the wireless alternatives very thoroughly and it made the most sense for my particular circumstances. It won't be right for everyone, as different users have different needs. From an investor standpoint, some of the numbers are pretty scary, but what I think is being overlooked is the enormous growth potential. It is clear to me after spending a lot of time over the last two weeks that Ricochet makes sense for business users as well as individuals. In fact, I get the feeling that MCOM itself may be underestimating the market potential for individual users. The wireless landscape is very wide-open right now, and so MCOM investment is highly speculative, with associated risk, but that's the kind of investors we are, right? (Note to thread: if you're looking for a safe bet, dump your MCOM and buy a good blue chip...) But I think MCOM is well positioned and if you're playing the percentages, their odds are much better than even. From my professional experience, I understand the nature of testing. There is no rushing it, it just flat takes time. But what you gain from a well-designed testing program is the knowledge of what works and most importantly, the knowledge of what doesn't work. What works can always be refined and built upon. What doesn't work can kill your business if you don't know about it. MCOM is WAY ahead of the curve here. They've made some marketing mistakes, IMO, but these are easily corrected. Finally, a word on sentiment. I don't have anything to back this up (probaly could find numerous, worthless, articles to support my opinion), but I have a feeling in my bones (like the feeling people get before a thunderstorm) that "wireless" is going to be the next big buzzword in the i-nets. The internet buzzwords come and go quickly, but MCOM is well positioned here, as well, because they have the type of product that facilitates wild-fire word-of-mouth promotion among professionals. The average consumer isn't going to have the time to distinguish between all the options, but when they decide they need to go "wireless" there will be no stopping them, and $30/mo is pretty easy to swallow. I posted earlier today on one type of wireless competitor, here's another wireless development (albeit a totally different product, but still "wireless", and a very exciting product, IMO): apple.com This post isn't intended to be all rah-rah, yippee-skippee. Certaily lots of risk here. The daytraders can formulate their own strategy for MCOM; but as a long-term investor, I think it's as good a gamble as any. But trust your own bones, not mine. PM