Personal computers may be moving out of the realms of geekdom and into the user-friendly domestic appliance category.
Supermarket chain Tesco announced yesterday that it is to stock IBM PCs. Customers shopping in any of six outlets participating in the trial will be able to include IBM's Aptiva €18 and Aptiva 44 multimedia PCs in their shopping lists.
Priced at £799 and £999, the PCs operate on the K6 300Mhz and 333Mhz processors manufactured by clone microchip processor, AMD. The systems offer a complete range of features for the home user including a built-in CD player, high speed video card, 3D graphics, 56K modem, a 14 inch monitor, stereo speakers. Both are Internet enabled. The prices include educational and business software as well as Microsoft's Windows 98.
The decision to introduce PCs to Irish shelves follows a similar initiative by Tesco in the UK where Fujitsu computers are stocked.
The PCs will be sold at Tesco stores in Dublin stores Bloomfields, Nutgrove, Tallaght, Artane and Santry and in Greystones, Co Wicklow. For the first six weeks IBM staff will be present in each of the stores to deal with customer queries about the PCs, after which, Tesco staff will handle customer queries.
The pilot is expected to last until the end of the year, after which the scheme will be reviewed for a nationwide roll-out, based on the success of Christmas sales. Depending on customer reaction and demand, Tesco will also consider expanding the range of brands available once the trial period has ended.
According to Mr Michael Nason, marketing director of Tesco Ireland: "Our customers have asked us for simplicity, quality and value - and that's just what we're offering with IBM. There's no unwanted sales talk, no complicated jargon or confusing brand variations."
