INDUSTRY
The Battle of the Boxes: PC vs. TV (NYT)
No Dot-Com IPOs Last Year - Report (Washtech)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
Computers for the People in Brazil (NYT)
INDUSTRY
THE BATTLE OF THE BOXES: PC VS. TV
Issue: Technology, Consumer Electronics
This week marks the opening of two of the most anticipated technology
expositions: the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the =
Macworld
exhibition in San Francisco. The two events, in many ways, each =
highlight
contrasting visions of the future of consumer media. At the CES expo in =
Las
Vegas, WebTV co-founder Steve Perlman will debut his latest venture, =
the
Moxi Digital set-top box. This device is designed to be a comprehensive
wireless media server for the home that will offer high-speed Internet
access and play MP3 files, DVDs and CDs. In contrast, Macworld will =
serve as
the high-tech pulpit for Steve Jobs, Apple's founder and recently =
returned
CEO. Jobs sees consumer home entertainment devices converging around =
Apple's
Macintosh computers. Both Perlman and Jobs will be speaking before =
their
respective exhibitions later today, with Jobs expected to make a major
announcement regarding Apple's product line. Speculation about the new
product has run wild as of late, with guesses ranging from flat-panel =
iMac
computers to a so-called iWalk handheld computer.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/07/technology/ebusiness/07GADG.html)
(Requires Registration)
NO DOT-COM IPO'S LAST YEAR - REPORT=20
Issue: IT Economy
According to an annual survey, no companies with the word ".com" in =
their
name filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in 2001. The survey,
conducted by Hoover's, serves as yet another example of how dot-com
companies, once the apple of Wall Street's eye, have fallen on hard =
economic
times. The lack of dot-com IPO's last year is a continuation of a =
recent
trend: in 1999, there were 22 dot-com IPO's, while in 2000, the number
dropped to 12.
[SOURCE: Washtech.com, AUTHOR: Adam Creed]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/vcfinance/14495-1.html)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
COMPUTERS FOR THE PEOPLE IN BRAZIL
Issue: Low-cost computers, PC industry, Latin America
Brazil, not unlike Argentina and other countries in South America, has =
faced
more than its share of economic challenges, but one computer =
manufacturer
has managed to thrive. Metron L. Ind=FAstria Eletr=F4nica, founded in =
1984 as a
manufacturer of electronic taxi meters, teamed with the Brazilian host =
of
"Who Wants to be a Millionaire" to help bridge the digital divide by
offering subsidized computers to the public. Silvio Santos, the host of
Brazil's "Show of the Million," as it's known locally, used his program =
to
promote a low-cost computer package that would be partially subsidized =
by
Brazilian IT companies, including Metron.=20
In the first phase of the program, 18,000 computers were sold, half of =
which
were made by Metron. The success of the program has propelled Metron to =
the
top of the Brazilian PC market, surpassing Compaq Computer, which had
dominated the local market for five years. Metron's computers cost =
roughly
$250 less than its competitors, making it more affordable to the =
average
Brazilian. Nonetheless, owning a computer is still a challenge to many
Brazilians: a recent survey suggested that 15 million Brazilian =
households
would like to own a computer, but could not afford to pay more than $25 =
per
month in PC and Internet costs.=20
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Rich]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/07/technology/07METR.html)
(Requires Registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------