Intel's notebook strategy causing terrible muddle all round

No one understands what's going on. Does Intel?

THERE'S A STREET IN central London called Tottenham Court Road which has long been the rather pale imitation of the Akihabara district of Tokyo.

Just south of Goodge Street underground station you will find a multitude of electronics traders peddling various wares to the interested.

And bang opposite Warren Street tube station, at the top of Tottenham Court Road is a massive branch of PC World, owned by the Dixons Group, occupying the space that a former furniture shop, Maples, had for years.

We wanted to buy a notebook for the INQUIRER, so we've wandered up and down the road several times in the last 10 days, looking at the prices and listening carefully to the conversations sales assistants have with would be customers.

Prices vary wildly and widely. For example, at PC World, a Sony Vaio R600 HMPD, which has a 1.2GHz Pentium III-M chip is listed at Â£1750 or so, including VAT. Last week, the same model was selling in Micro Anvika for Â£1600, and next door at Gultronics we were quoted a price of Â£1599 last week, although by yesterday it had fallen to Â£1550.

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