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Technology Stocks : Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: BelowTheCrowd who wrote (238)	5/8/2002 11:59:25 PM
From: Dave B	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4345

Michael, I would agree. CompUSA's standard threat was always that they would introduce their own brand, which could be assembled by any "white box" manufacturer. From time to time they have done it as a "low end" machine, but they definitely have the ability to effectively create a brand from nowhere and push it hard. The (typically unsophisticated) buyer in that environment would probably be at least somewhat responsive. I just read in today's Merc that HP is planning on keeping both names in the PC market to make it look as if there is competition, and to continue to control the 80% of retail that HP/CPQ split before. It's amazing to me that they think the retailers are that stupid. It'll be interesting to see how the retailers respond. Dave

To: BelowTheCrowd who wrote (238)	5/9/2002 9:07:33 AM
From: Lynn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4345

Dear Michael: At the CompUSA I go to the most, they are going to have to get their act together in the service department first: "CompUSA's... definitely have the ability to effectively create a brand from nowhere and push it hard. The (typically unsophisticated) buyer in that environment would probably be at least somewhat responsive." One has to walk past the service department (SD) upon entering the store closest to me. I can't remember the last time I went to CompUSA when people were not waiting at the SD window. It is quite common to hear customers complaining about either the time it took to repair the problem or that this is not the first time they have brought something in for the identical problem. The message one gets when entering this particular CompUSA is that CompUSA's SD stinks. In a situation such as this, a sales person would have to be on the level of someone who could sell a freezer to an Eskimo or a space heater to a Sahara Desert nomad to sell a CompUSA brand computer. Regards, Lynn