The main spring consumer computer exhibition kicks off tomorrow at the Taipei World Trade Center, offering the public an opportunity for bargain-hunting.
"Consumers will be able to check out a wide selection of PCs, notebook computers, digital gad-gets and computer games at good prices," said Wu Wen-jung (
More than 150 companies have hired a total of 1,100 booths for the four-day show.
Wu expects consumers, still flush with cash from red envelopes or year-end bonuses, to spend big at the show.
Organizers are hoping to attract more than 55,000 visitors to this year's show. Last year 50,000 people attended the exhibition.
Consumers can look forward to a rash of brand name discounts.
"HP Taiwan will cut NT$5,000 off our most popular notebook model during the show," said Dennis Chen (
HP's Presario 2800 Intel Pentium4-equipped notebook -- which retailed last year for NT$56,900 -- will sell at the show for NT$51,900, he said.
The company also plans to offer the entry-level HP Presario 1500 powered by an Intel Celeron 1.6GHz processor, for NT$36,900.
International Business Machines Corp (IBM) will also target students with its entry-level computers.
"In an effort to get more entry-level users to choose IBM as their first notebook PC, we've selected two models specifically for this show," said Hank Hung (洪漢青), an executive in IBM Taiwan's personal -computing division.
Prices of the IBM ThinkPad R32 notebook, powered by the Intel Pentium4-processor and equipped with a 13.3-inch monitor, will go for NT$39,329 each. The super-thin IBM ThinkPad X30, equipped with an Intel Pentium3-processor, will be priced at NT$44,329.
However, IBM's special prices will only be available to students and other consumers aged between 18 and 35.
"Purchasers will be requested to show a personal ID or student ID," Hung said.
IBM first began targeting students in a marketing campaign launched last August.
"The market reaction was impressive ? last year more than 15 percent of IBM notebook PCs sold in Taiwan went to young people," Hung said.
The company sold 54,800 IBM notebooks nationwide last year, a 22 percent jump from 2001.
Hung said nearly 70 percent of sales were entry-level products. He said the company plans to continue the cheap prices in hopes of selling 80,000 notebook PCs this year.
Apple Computer Inc's products will also be bargain priced at the show. Prices for Macintosh's G4 PowerBook range from NT$109,900 to NT$103,900.
A 23-inch Apple LCD monitor, originally priced at NT$119,900, will retail for NT$72,900.
The exhibition will be open from 9am to 5pm. It ends on Monday. Admission is NT$200.
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