Word: bigs
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Executives at the three established networks noted that the opening show achieved a mere .7 rating, meaning that just seven cable households per thousand tuned in, one twenty-fourth of the audience typically commanded by each of the Big Three newscasts. Said a top NBC news official: "I'm more concerned about erosion of our audience from nonnews sources ((entertainment shows, VCRs and so on)) than competing news sources. I don't think this is going to make any difference to us." Of course, that's what the Big Three used to say, with misguided optimism, about...
...twin fetes had all the glitz and hoopla of a Hollywood premiere. Champagne flowed freely, and soft jazz whispered in the background. Guests nibbled on caviar and smoked-salmon quiche. The big bashes, which took place on the same day this month in New York City and Los Angeles, were staged by Commodore Business Machines to kick off a $15 million advertising campaign, starring celebrities ranging from the Pointer Sisters to Tommy Lasorda, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. But instead of coming off as a preview, the event seemed more like a benefit for an aging star...
...show was symptomatic of what is taking place at many companies in the computer industry. After a decade of rapid expansion and explosive product innovation, the business has lost some of its pizazz. Many established companies are repackaging old technology rather than developing daring new products. Manufacturers of such big machines as mainframes and minicomputers are suffering from stagnant sales as customers turn to powerful but less expensive workstations and personal computers. At the same time, many customers are reluctant to buy new hardware because of a shortage of innovative software to provide fresh applications for the machines...
...prime reason for the slump is that corporate customers are cutting back on spending as they go through buyouts, mergers and restructurings. "Big customers are hanging back because they don't have any money," says Robert Noyce, chief executive of Sematech, a consortium of computer-chip makers. At the same time, the industry has graduated from an "original placement" business, in which many companies rushed to automate for the first time, to a "replacement" business, in which corporations buy computers only when they need new models...
...flexible workstations, made by companies like Sun Microsystems. Because of this shift, mainframe sales are expanding only about 5% annually, less than half the rate of a few years ago. Says Rod Canion, president of Houston-based Compaq: "The rules are changing, and it's very difficult for the big-computer makers to accept." At the other end of the spectrum, some PC makers are getting hit with a different problem: a glut of machines. Says Michael Dell, who heads an Austin-based PC maker that bears his name: "There are no more places on the shelf for another computer...