Buyers snub no-frills PCs

The sale of low-cost consumer PCs fell in the final quarter of 2000 because manufacturers did not add enough attractive features and functions, according to a survey by market research firm Gartner.

Brian Gammage, a Gartner analyst, suspects that the dollar valuation of the euro made it hard for manufacturers to add more attractive features to low-cost PCs. He believes that without these extra 'bells and whistles' to attract the entry-level buyer, the sales figures have suffered.

He said: "You may get more PC for your money than you did a year ago, but for many entry-level buyers, it is still not enough."

However, Gammage was quick to point out that the sales of higher end consumer PCs had increased, and that this was not a decline across the whole consumer market.

The survey showed that the Germans bought the most machines at 7.1 million units, an increase of 4.3 per cent, while the UK purchased 6.1 million, up 7.9 percent, and France fell by 1.1 per cent to 4.3 million.

Compaq led the European computer sales figures, selling 5.24 million machines and cornering a 14.8 per cent market share, while Fujitsu Siemens was second with sales of 3.34 million units and a 9.4 per cent share. Dell came in third with 2.81 million units and eight per cent of the market share.

Also published in What PC?

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