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Technology Stocks : AUTOHOME, Inc -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LLCoolG who wrote (17337)	11/27/1999 8:53:00 PM
From: kjhwang	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 29970

The "low end" vs. "high end" issue is subjective but not INSIGNIFICANT! I think you have been reading too many econ. books to distinguish reality from theory. It by all means seems reasonable for people to buy goods at the lowest prices available, but it is not very realistic. People are, by their very nature, creatures of habit. And so marketing and brand recognition become crucial for any growing enterprise for achieving repeat sales. That, my friend, is what makes AOL so powerful. Not only is AOL now synonomous with the internet, but also with quality. AKA BRAND RECOGNITION. Wary customers will be more willing to deal with a known and respected business and forsake some discount for avoiding hassles and headaches associated with shady businesses. Anyway, this part of the discussion is moot as the company (AOL) does NOT share in the B2C transactions--it collects "rent" for occupying "real-estate"... Key point: look at the partnerships--who is renting and why... I concur, as I stated previously, cable is important. But it is not a requirement for success. There are other means for broadband access. AOL has the content & eyeballs, partnerships for broadband access will come and technology will be developed and deployed, cable or otherwise. Instead of playing this game, lets look at the flip side. How can ATHM possibly survive without a partnership with aol or some other major content provider? Which company is doing all the major deals for content? Excite & Blue Mountain arts? Pleez... Teach me, My ears are open. TCI Long AOL & ATHM & DELL