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Technology Stocks : 3Com Corporation (COMS) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KyrosL who wrote (45035)	12/19/2000 4:14:47 PM
From: opalapril	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 45548

How much cash do I get for $8 share?

To: KyrosL who wrote (45035)	12/19/2000 11:46:35 PM
From: mr.mark	Respond to of 45548

Is Audrey Too Cool for Christmas? 3Com has high hopes for its Internet appliance, but is anybody buying? Jennifer Couzin, The Industry Standard Tuesday, December 19, 2000 When executives at 3Com hired an anthropologist to study people's lifestyle habits, the company gleaned a not-so-surprising message: Families are busy, and their homes and their schedules are disorganized. Enter Audrey, 3Com's answer to the chaos of coordinating soccer games, parties, and piano lessons -- and a product the company hopes will be a big holiday seller. (See "Chic Internet Access With Audrey.") It's too early to measure sales of Audrey, an Internet appliance selling for $499, promoted as the perfect addition to every family's kitchen. But already some analysts doubt whether buyers are willing to shell out that much money this season for the latest cool gadget. So do some consumers. "I drool over them," admits Steve Rubel, a self-described "gadget junkie" who works for a high-tech public relations firm in New York. "But then I think, 'Do I really need it?' The amount of time I spend in the kitchen is nil." Introduced in mid-October and sold on Amazon.com and in Best Buy stores nationwide, Audrey is the latest in an emerging group of Net appliances. These machines range from a fridge with a scanner that tells you when your milk is sour (not yet on the market) to devices used solely for e-mail. (See "Ready Or Not, Here Come Net Appliances.") 3Com, which is behind the popular PalmPilot, designed Audrey to be an "online family organizer" that sends and receives e-mail, accesses a limited number of Web sites, and includes a calendar. (See ""Meet Audrey, 3Com's Wired Appliance.") Ron Vitale, a 3Com marketing executive, is upbeat about Audrey's prospects. "We have reason to believe that now that we've built it they will come," he says. Audrey's already back-ordered at Amazon. Newspapers and magazines have showered it with attention. Still, she's not an easy sell. Unlike DVDs or digital cameras, which replace existing merchandise, Audrey is considered part of a new class of technology products, a cross between a handheld computer and a PC, which supposedly makes it easier to receive e-mail. The marketing challenge for the company is to persuade buyers to alter their routines. By contrast, DVDs and digital cameras perform the same functions as their predecessors. Earlier cool gadgets have struggled before catching fire. Apple Computer's Newton, an early 1990s Palm-like gadget, was a bust, though eight years later both Palm and Handspring have been successful with similar products. Audrey is also ahead of the curve, but the question is by how much. "It certainly hasn't been on the top of everyone's list," says John Glass, an analyst at Deutsche Bank. "But the notion of home networking will grow through time." pcworld.com