 (Nikkei BP Group)
 (No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)


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Year-End Prices in Japanese PC Shops Remain Level
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December 30, 1998 (TOKYO) -- Retail prices barely changed for desktop
and notebook personal computers, according to Nikkei Personal Computing's
Dec. 20 survey of six major PC retailers in the Tokyo area.
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A shortage in popular models was also observed.
Among desktop PCs, NEC Corp.'s space-saving "ValueStar NX VC30H/5XD"
with a liquid crystal display monitor and Compaq Computer KK's low-priced
models "PRESARIO 2262" and "PRESARIO 2274" were scarce.
For notebook PCs, IBM Japan Ltd.'s all-in-one "ThinkPad i Series 1400
Model 1450" was hard to find on store shelves.
Popular models were hard to find because PC manufacturers tried not to
supply shops with too many of their products for fear of creating excess
inventory. In addition, PC sales were brisk on the whole. As a result,
prices did not fall.
Since manufacturers did not increase production, popular models disappeared
from store shelves with the prices unchanged.
Stocks of Macintosh models were also thin except for the iMac because
there will be a new model introduced as early as the beginning of 1999.
Although the price of the iMac decreased in the United States, there's
no similar move in Japan yet. Every store has a price tag on the iMac
of 178,000 yen (US$1,530).
More detailed survey results can be found in Nikkei
Personal Computing's Web site (in Japanese only).
Related stories: � Japan's PC Sales in 4th Week of Nov. Reach High
Level � PC Prices Unlikely to Fall Due to Less Inventory:
Nikkei PC Survey � Year-End Sales Season to Feature More Space-Saving
PCs
(Nikkei
Personal Computing)
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