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Technology Stocks : PC Sector Round Table -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stitch who wrote (1392)	1/21/1999 5:17:00 PM
From: Mark Oliver	Respond to of 2025

It's an interesting question, but this issue of selling old machines must have been around for a long time. In the San Jose area, you always had outlets like Fry's filling this gap, but they could never have impacted the market like Onsale. But still, while you can see the prices offered in Malaysia, would you ever go through the shipping hassles to get the box? Again, this will have regional appeal, and yes the US is a pretty powerful region. But, if Compaq has 2,000 pentium II's in a warehouse, how do they sell them? This is the reason for going to BTO, but what did they do in the past? I would think in some cases they would be lucky to sell at cost. Maybe Onsale will provide the needed outlet to complete the effeciency. Problem with Onsale is there aren't enough old computers to sell. Their model has had to change and this move is actually negative for them. Again, the big computer makers seem to take the upper hand. And yes, what happens to all the smaller fish in the pond? We have seen the market is largely made up of third tier players and they have a big bullseye painted on their butts. Will their loss be missed? In my small town, they still rule and they've not served their customers very well, leaving people with poorly built machines that have second class parts. I should think this will pressure margins, but this is a factor that gives power to the big 5 PC makers and maybe even gives us buyers a better deal. Anyway, the PC as we know it has some serious issues in it's future as more and more specialty devices take the role of PC. IMHO Regards, Mark PS I remember wondering how the market would change as Intel assumed the role of designing the motherboard. At some point, it looked like there would be no difference from box to box as they all came with the same components. Well, there still seems to be a quality issue from PC vendor to vendor. Maybe it's service?

To: Stitch who wrote (1392)	1/21/1999 7:27:00 PM
From: Frodo Baxter	Respond to of 2025

From your reference... ''Anybody can sell products at cost and make a lot of revenue,'' Finney said. ''The question is how to make it profitable revenue. I could be selling $1 bills for 85 cents.'' Hmm. Sounds familiar. Did he learn that from SI??? Anyway, sounds like a bunch of b.s. hype to me. If they're selling at cost, how come they're not sweeping the rankings at all those price comparison sites? It does speak to the fact that their bid auction business model was nothing more than a novelty and fundamentally unsound.

To: Stitch who wrote (1392)	1/21/1999 7:43:00 PM
From: Yogi - Paul	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2025

Stitch, <<If so then how about all those people that work at enterprises that operate between the manufacturer and the end user? They lose jobs, quit spending, etc. By the way, people who write the advertising are part of that group aren't they?>> I don't know, Stitch. I just don't know. Amongst the largest private employers in my state are Grocery stores, bricks and mortar retail stores, drug stores, and banks. dbf.state.fl.us All are under attack by more efficient means (read lower headcount) of distribution. On line shopping, on-line banking, drugs.com, etc. Where does consumption come from when efficiency eliminates income? The issue has not affected my investment decisions yet. It's just one of those things that makes me thankful I've already made mine. As for OnSale, its interesting that everyone seems to be selling audience and giving away content. Interesting. Yogi