PC makers begin holiday desktop onslaught

Now that fall is here, PC makers have begun updating their consumer-oriented desktop models for the holiday season. Gateway has introduced three new eMachines desktop models, which will begin appearing in stores this weekend, the company said. Hewlett-Packard has also updated several of its HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario desktops, which it sells at retail stores and direct to customers.

While notebooks have been hot sellers at retail stores, posting large year-over-year unit sales increases of late, desktops, especially those that sell for under $1,000, still account for more overall unit sales. Thus offering desktops with favorable mixtures of features and prices will constitute a major part of PC makers' efforts to woo customers and maintain or increase sales during the holiday season. Gateway's latest eMachines models follow the brand's tradition of offering PCs priced at $399, $499 and $599, after rebates. However, the latest models generally offer faster processors or larger hard drives than before.

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