Computer maker Dell is further refining its move into traditional retail, announcing yesterday that it will be closing some 140 kiosks it operated to showcase its computers and technology. Dell launched the kiosk program in 2002, and the 140 locations were mostly in shopping malls around the United States. Dell says it will shutter the kiosks to focus on its new retail strategy, which has the company pushing computers through traditional retailers like Best Buy and even Wal-Mart, rather than only offering direct sales to consumers.
Tag Archive: move
Dude, You’re Getting a Sony
Computer maker Dell has begun retooling its consumer business strategy in an effort to make its electronics offerings more appealing to customers. Its first move: offering Sony Bravia flat-screen televisions for sale on its Web site.
At the moment, Dell is offering the 46-inch KDL-46V2500 1080p-capable Bravia LCD TV along with two 40-inch Bravia models, the 1080p KDL-40V2500 and the 720p KDL-40S2010. The units are priced at $2,999, $2,199, and $1,799 respectively, including Dell’s standard-operating-procedure instant discounts; the discounts mean the units significantly undercut Sony’s asking price for the same units.
DVD players, LCD’s Drive DTV Adoption
Combined with government support for the move to digital, the advancements are building a DTV market poised to reach sales of $70 billion worldwide in 2008, International Data Corp. said. The projections indicate that the shift from analog to digital TV is in full swing.
“As consumers become exposed to the crisp, vivid images and overall cinematic experience of [high definition], they will begin to see a compelling reason to replace their otherwise functioning analog solutions,” IDC analyst Danielle Levitas said in a statement. “This move is well underway as the selection of DTVs and [high-definition] TVs) in retail continues to swell.”
Microsoft Unveils Unified PC-Console
The move brings Microsoft’s DirectX graphics applications programming interface from the PC to the XBox for the first time, essentially letting game developers write one title that can be used on PCsand XBox machines.
The move could help attract more game developers to the XBox where it currently lags in number of titles behind Sony Corp.’s Playstation and Nintendo’s Gamecube.
“This is how Microsoft gets bigger [in consoles] fast,” said Rick Berman, chief operating officer for ATI Technologies that makes graphics chips both for PCs and the next-generation XBox. “This is a shot across Sony’s bow,” Bergman added.
Motorola Moving Chip Design To China, India
A total of about 50 jobs would be lost in the move. We are consolidating our design resources and this is part of our semiconductor product sector,” a Motorola spokeswoman told Reuters. “For all three design centers, we are looking at fewer than 50 employees in total.” She said the move was partly aimed at trimming costs.
Read more at Reuters Technology.


