HP to introduce new version of popular media PC
Herald News Services
Monday, March 03, 2003
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Computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. will introduce a new
version of its popular media-centre personal computer in the next few
weeks, an HP executive said last week.
Duane Zitzner, who runs Hewlett-Packard's personal-systems group (its
PC and consumer business) also said its tablet PC has been a hit in
the medical and insurance industries. And he said PC pricing remains
aggressive, with HP and Dell Computer Corp., the two biggest PC
makers, jockeying for No. 1 market share.
Hewlett-Packard's media-centre PC, which costs about $2,000 US, lets
users watch and record television programs, make their own DVDs and
CDs, and edit digital video. Hewlett-Packard has said it was unable
to keep up with demand during the holidays.
HP's personal-system group had revenue in its fiscal first quarter of
$5.1 billion, up two per cent from the previous quarter, and an
operating profit of $33 million, compared with a loss of $68 million
in the previous quarter.
Zitzner said more details about the new version of the media-centre
PC would be announced by Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP in a few weeks.
He declined to comment when asked if PSG would be profitable for the
remaining quarters of its fiscal year ending in October.
However, he said pricing was aggressive in the just-completed
quarter, but "our margins went up and we expect to continue to do
that."
He also reiterated HP's goal of reaching operating margins of two per
cent to three per cent sometime in 2004.
© Copyright 2003 Calgary Herald
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