DVD shipments skyrocket
The DVD revolution is set to reach new heights in the market, according to US research firm Cahners In-Stat Group, with more than 28 million units expected to ship worldwide this year.
The figure will climb to 60 million units in 2004, equalling the number of VCRs sold today. The market will be driven by new technology and lower price point, according to In-Stat research. By 2004, the average DVD player bill of materials will fall below $US90. New features such as component integration, DVD-Audio and new products will also drive the market.
Acer grabs a bite of Chinese market pie
China is proving fertile ground for PC vendor Acer, which announced revenue from the Mainland China PC market last year increased 200 per cent on 1999 figures.
The market is worth $3.3 million dollars to the PC vendor and Acer expects to rate number five on the PC vendor list.
Meanwhile, Acer's 2-hour notebook repair service has hit its one-year milestone, with the company boasting it remains the only PC manufacturer to offer such a service. Acer provides customers with a commitment warranty that guarantees 99 per cent of notebooks taken to the repair centre will be serviced in 2 hours or less.
"Our channel partners also benefit from the warranty service as they can concentrate on adding value and helping their customers at the point-of-sale", Acer product manager for Notebook PCs Antonio Leone said.
Nikon updates Coolscan scanner range
Nikon has released three new models in its Coolscan film scanner range. The scanners will be distributed by Maxwell Optical Industries and include the 2900 dpi Coolscan IV ED, the Super Coolscan 4000 ED at 4000dpi and 8000 dpi Super Coolscan 8000ED. All scanners handle 35mm films and feature scanning quality that can rival drum scanners, according to the company. The scanners are bundled with a suite of image correction software, with USB or IEEE 1394 connectivity, depending on the model. Prices range from $1550 for the Coolscan IV ED to $3350 for the Super Coolscan 4000 and around $7000 for the 8000 model.
Hitachi gets cathodic
A new CRT monitor has been added to Hitachi's ErgoFlat Line 19-inch range. The CM7772 provides resolution of up to 1600x1280 dpi at 85 Hz, with a new deflection yoke design which provides 10 per cent more brightness than average flat-faced monitors. It will retail for $1350.
