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Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DiViT who wrote (33192)	5/13/1998 4:56:00 PM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Tom appears to be doing very well. I wonder how much interplay there is between CUBE and Divi at high levels.

To: DiViT who wrote (33192)	5/13/1998 5:46:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

Gateway notebooks top the testing charts in Japan.................... nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com Gateway 2000 Note PCs Take Top Slots in Benchmark Tests May 13, 1998 (TOKYO) -- Two notebook computers from Gateway 2000 Japan Inc. rewrote the record books in the latest performance tests conducted by Nikkei Personal Computing, taking first and second place. The tests are regularly conducted in both the notebook computer and desktop PC categories. Both Gateway models are powered by Mobile Pentium II processors, the Pentium II for notebooks announced by Intel Corp. on April 2. The top-performing Gateway Solo 9100 266 IIXL is a multimedia machine with a DVD drive and an 8GB hard disk drive that matches the capacity of high-end desktop PCs. The second-ranking Gateway Solo 5100 is a business model with a standard CD-ROM drive. "The graphics chip in the Solo 9100 is also a superior product to the one in the Solo 5100," a Gateway 2000 Japan spokesperson said.

To: DiViT who wrote (33192)	5/13/1998 7:38:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

VCD........................ asiansources.com VCD players Competition drags quotes to a low of $70 Several compelling factors now indicate that VCD player prices are approaching rock bottom in the Asian supply. First and foremost, there has been a general industry shakeout, with many of Taiwan's producers turning away from the line. Moreover, fewer new models are being developed, and manufacturers are reluctant to reveal pricing information. VCD player prices have suffered two rounds of big cuts, amounting to a nearly 70 percent drop over the past couple of years. The trend has largely been caused by increases in output by China-based manufacturers, who are now enjoying a majority share of their domestic market -- the largest VCD player market in the world. "The greatest impact was crated by the oversupply situation in China, where VCD sales accounted for more than 80 percent of the world's total consumption of VCD players last year," said S.J. Liu, marketing director for Taiwan-based Hanpin Electron Co. Ltd. ************************************************************** China needs help with unit counting. Who supplies Philips and Sony?????????????????????????????????? asiansources.com VCD players Output continues to climb Although all players in this industry expect DVD players to take over the market within the next five years, most are optimistic that the VCD format, with its price advantage, will continue to hold a mass market for some time, especially in developing countries. This is encouraging further output expansion by those committed to the line, even as profits deteriorate. "The DVD player's high price, as well as its high technology, makes it an unaffordable product in markets with weaker consumer spending power," said Yanion's Ho. "This empowers companies like us to continue producing VCD players." Moreover, Ho said that with prices falling to $70 each FOB, down from more than $200 just two years ago, demand has expanded from urban centers to rural areas. "The low price has enabled even low-income families to afford a unit for their homes," he said. "This has kept the market stable and has even driven further growth." Chinese companies are particularly well-positioned to capitalize on this expansion. China produced 60,000 VCD players in 1994, 600,000 units in 1995, 6 million in 1996 and 10 million in 1997. This year, the total output could reach 12 million units. And there remains lots of room for capacity expansion in China. Only about 10 makers have an annual output capacity of 100,000 units or more, as most still yield only 10,000 units per year. But this is already changing. For instance, Jiangsu Shinco Electronic Group Co. China can now produce more than 3.6 million units annually. More companies are set to join the fray. Despite the limit the Chinese Ministry of Information Technology has put on the number of new makers that may enter the line, about 200 companies still plan to equip their factories with VCD player production lines. This influx is facilitated by the relative maturity of VCD player technology. "It is especially easy for CD player producers. Most work can be accomplished with their present production equipment; it needs almost no additional cost," said import/export manager Cai Jin of China's Zhongshan Subor Electronics Industry Co. Ltd. The unbounded growth of the domestic market -- partly driven by the low cost of pirated titles -- is also a key inducement to enter the field. Consumers can easily source VCD movies for $2 or less, which is lower than cinema ticket prices. Well aware of this, VCD player suppliers are highlighting debugging functions, which enable a player to read low-quality software without glitches. Despite the large production scale in China, mainland manufacturers are still dependent upon imported VCD chips and decoders. Almost 90 percent of VCD chips come from either Sony or Philips. - Asian Sources Electronics ******************************************************** Bundled VCD.................................................... asiansources.com Thus, even mainland-based, low-cost producers are feeling the pricing pinch. Profit margins have been reduced to about 8 percent, discouraging further investment in R&D and sparking a decrease in some firms' overall product and service quality. However, Chinese factories are adding some value. For instance, it is becoming common to bundle up to 10 VCD software titles with a player, as well as a microphone. ******************************************************************