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

To: joe who wrote (25307)	11/29/1998 10:41:00 PM
From: Jon K.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 45548

joe, make up your mind, just one please.

To: joe who wrote (25307)	11/29/1998 11:13:00 PM
From: Moonray	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 45548

Small Computers Join Furby As Hot Gift Item Reuters - 12:08 a.m. Nov 29, 1998 Eastern CHICAGO (Reuters) - Powerful hand-held computers, suede clothing and stuffed toys were at the top of gift lists along with Furby as the holiday shopping season entered its second day with robust sales amid unseasonably warm weather, retail sources said. Hasbro Inc.'s hot-selling Furby -- the furry, talking, stuffed toy -- has made headlines as this year's must-have toy, but retailers also report strong sales of hand-held computers. ''The big computer item is the PalmPilot -- it's a hand-held computer you can plug into a desktop,'' said John Konarski, vice president of the International Council of Shopping Centers. PalmPilot is made by U.S. Robotics division of 3Com Corp, but Konarski said sales have been equally strong for similar hand-held computers made by other computer manufacturers. ''The prices have dropped, which have made them more attractive,'' said the manager at a suburban Chicago Office Depot store. These computers, which cost about $400 now and were priced at $700 a year ago, can run spreadsheets and word processing programs vs. early models that were basically appointment planners and address books, he said. Store managers at the Gurnee Mills Mall in Gurnee, Ill., expect a 5 to 8 percent increase in sales this holiday season but unseasonable 60 and 70 degree temperatures may curb sales of cold weather clothes and sporting goods. ''You certainly are not selling a lot of outer wear. Sports Authority will probably not sell a lot of skis today,'' said Joe Szymaszek, general manager at Gurnee Mills. ''I'd rather have this than a 12-inch snowstorm.'' Sales of stuffed toys and computer games were robust, he said. ''The big new fabric trend for men and women is suede,'' said the International Council of Shopping Centers' Konarski. Suede coats have been big sellers as have dark blue jeans for men, he said. Konarski said sales figures that will be available Monday should show if the warm weather kept shoppers away from the 50 malls the council surveys. Stores were busy Saturday at Minneapolis' Mall of America, the largest retail and entertainment complex in the United States, with some expecting double-digit percentage increases from a year ago. The few Furbies that were available were gone in minutes Friday and shoppers went after Teletubby and Blue's Clues toys, said Mall spokesperson Maureen Cahill. Teletubby and Blue's Clues were based on characters in popular children's television shows. Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication and redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. o~~~ O