Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Nokia (NOK) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: w molloy who wrote (1736)	4/8/1999 6:16:00 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 34857

W, Sure the Japanese will buy from Japanese if they possibly can. They'll avoid those outside their keiretsu too. But that has a limit. If they buy junk, they won't sell their handset. Q! has got a hefty lead. Just as Intel supplies the ASICs for most of the PCs in Japan, so will Q! supply the ASICs for the handsets. Cost and performance do matter, even to Japanese. I think there was a lot of whining from the USA some years ago because Japan wouldn't buy 'superior' stuff from them. Sometimes sellers have an overinflated sense of their superiority which is not so detectable to the customers. Sellers also are prone to accuse competitors of selling 'below cost'. Japanese like good quality. The 'best' imported chips might not carry good 'brand value' even with demonstrably superior performance. These things are not simple. I think Q! will have 'brand value' and will be the best by such a margin that Japanese doubts and 'mates' deals will be overcome. So far that's true. Of course competitors will do what they can to beat Q! but they can't depend too much on being palsy walsy with their prospective Japanese customers. Flat batteries and dropped calls won't sell, even from 'pals'. I reckon I'm dead right! Though dead right sounds odd! Maurice