(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| PC Prices Unlikely to Fall Due to Less Inventory: Nikkei PC Survey
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December 14, 1998 (TOKYO) -- Retail prices of personal computers in Japan
are unlikely to decline much in part because of few inventories of
PCs at retail shops.
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This trend was clarified by Nikkei Personal Computing in a survey released
Dec. 6 covering large-scale PC specialty shops in Tokyo's Akihabara
and Shinjuku districts. The previous survey was released Nov. 29.
According to large sales outlets, PC makers have been cutting their shipments
since the summer in order to avoid price-slashing sales resulting from
excess inventories. At the same time, PC makers cannot easily increase
their production because liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are in short
supply due to the popularity of desktop PCs with LCD monitors and brisk
sales of notebook PCs.
Thus, it is unlikely that PC prices will decrease during the winter shopping
season. Some models are already out of stock at some shops.
IBM Japan Ltd.'s Think Pad i series, with prices starting at 234,000
yen (US$1,990), is witnessing short supplies. Compaq Computer K.K.'s
desktop computer series, PRESARIO 2262, which is popular among inexpensive
models starting at 128,000 yen (US$1,090), is expected to see its last
shipments in mid-December.
IBM Japan's Aptiva D1J, with prices starting at 148,000 yen (US$1,260),
a rival model to the PRESARIO 2262, also is popular, and shipments are
being made ahead of schedule.
NEC Corp.'s desktop computers with LCD monitors are enjoying strong sales
as well. A volume retailer in Tokyo's Akihabara district said that the
most popular models like the ValueStart NX VC30H/5XD2, which is priced
at 248,000 yen (US$2,120), will soon be hard to find at retail stores.
Details of the survey are available at Nikkei
Personal Computing's Web site, in Japanese only.
Related stories:
Year-End PC Prices Not Subject to Major Fluctuations
Year-End Sales Season to Feature More Space-Saving PCs
NEC Focuses on Space-Saving Computers, PC Sales Manager Says
(Nikkei
Personal
Computing)
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