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Technology Stocks : WDC/Sandisk Corporation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Road Walker who wrote (15464)	10/11/2000 12:15:38 AM
From: Seldom_Blue	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 60323

I want to make a few comments regarding the PC. First let me qualify myself. I am in the PC industry, selling PCs to small businesses and (to a less extent), consumers. I agree with Aus that the urge to upgrade is much less. In the past, the urge (or rather, need) to upgrade is mostly driven by the software or some other event. First it was Windows 95, then your fancy graphics programs, then your networking needs (for business productivity), then your internet and e-mail, then your Y2K. For the home users, there has not been a killer app since e-mail. Because most of the PCs out there can handle all these normal functions, new PCs are not a must-buy anymore. What we see is that people are more price sensitive. They have what they need. If the price is good, maybe they will get what they want. Using PCs as jukeboxes will require a sound card and a program (free from Microsoft or RealNetworks). This will not drive people to upgrade. DVD players will not do. If people want to watch a movie from a DVD player, they will want to sit in a couch vs. sitting in front of a computer. CD-RW is not a must-have. Voice recognition COULD potentially become the killer app that will drive the next wave of PC upgrades. But it is not so today. It will not be so in at least a year since there is nothing to make it so. When one day we all have carpel tunnel syndrome (spelling?), then perhaps it will happen. It is no coincidence that Intel and Dell are warning investors about slowing growth. PC is becoming more like TV industry. We all have a few in our houses, but none of us HAVE to go out and buy one tomorrow. I saw this coming months ago. I put in a limit order to buy puts when INTC was at 72. I missed it by 1/4. Needless to say I have been kicking myself since then for not just buying the damn thing at market! Seldom Blue