But in today’s serious economic gloom consumers won’t continue to blithely spend on high-tech gear and expensive evenings at the multiplex. Bargains will be more important than before. Things are tightening up. The stock of retail electronics giant Best Buy has fallen nearly 38%, for example. It used to be that technology trickled down from the corporations to the consumer. That’s changed. Now consumers are driving the purchases and the innovation. In the computer area, 44% of worldwide sales have been made to consumers, compared with only 29% in 1996. In this economic downturn, sales of home entertainment electronics, such as game consoles, are expected to remain relatively strong. In a recent ten-week period, flat-panel TV sales were up 43% compared with the same period last year, according to the CEA. A shift from frivolity to functionality is seen by one expert in the area: “Do I need to spend $2000 on a flat-screen display to be happy?” Technology companies can slash prices to attract buyers, but price cuts can backfire.
LG Electronics Simplifies HT Wiring Hassles – LG Electronics has introduced on its web site a new service called Wirewize – designed to simplify the challenging process of connection multiple consumer electronics – HDTVs, DVD players and other HT components – by providing a complete list of the best cables and visual, step-by-step hookup instructions for each component. Consumers access Wirewize by clicking the “Connection Guide” link on the right side of any product page on the TV/AV section of their site: LGusa.com Wirewize is designed to serve as a cross-brand customer support service for all major HT brands, and for consumers who want to connect and configure products from multiple manufacturers. The president of CE Interactive said, “…installation process is sometimes more cumbersome than people would like… we..offer consumers the kind of simplified assistance they need in order to easily integrate and enjoy their newly-purchased electronics.”
