Flat-panel display expected to dominate
Compaq Computer says the PC of the future will do away with bulky monitors and add multimedia functions far exceeding today's CD-ROMs.
Robert Jackson, vice-president of PC desktop marketing, said he expected the flat-panel display to become more common in the next 18 months as the price dropped.
'Hong Kong has a busy financial sector. The flat panel makes trading spaces much more humane,' he said.
'One of the big issues is heat, and of course the flat panel produces much less heat,' he said.
The flat-panel screen Presario 3000 series of PCs will not be released initially in Hong Kong because it fits in a niche market unlikely to be found in the territory.
Ivan Poon, director of consumer business marketing for Compaq in Hong Kong, said the Presario 3000 machines were lightweight, portable desktops designed specifically for United States households with large rooms, sometimes with more than one floor.
'The price point is also prohibitive at the moment,' Mr Poon said.
'We find that Hong Kong buyers expect value for money. The Presario 3000 system is only a 133MHz microprocessor. A buyer could get a 200MHz Pentium machine with full multimedia functions for a similar price,' he said.
