Hypotheses
If recycled computers are dependable, consumers prefer purchasing refurbished computers over new computers.
If refurbished computers come with an extended manufacturer’s warranty and added perks, consumers are more likely to purchase refurbished rather than new.
Research Design
If done right, the sale of refurbished computers have the potential to become a very profitable undergoing for manufacturers. Companies have to pay attention to customers’ needs and have to tailor their product range and offered services to the demand. While many consumers prefer to purchase new products, there is a significant market for refurbished products as well. Descy (2007) states that “according to the National Safety Council, 63 million computers became obsolete in 2005 alone”. If these computers were to be rebuilt by the manufacturers and redistributed across the globe, electronic waste in landfills could be reduced and companies could make a second profit off of these products. Of course, as Kristen (1999) outlines, consumer participation is needed as many of these old devices are either kept in storage spaces or are simply thrown in the garbage instead of returned to the manufacturers. As Yeh (2005) outlines, consumers look for “post-sale remedies” after purchasing a product. The better the exchange, repair and service arrangements are for a product, the more likely consumers are to take a chance with a refurbished product. Corbitt (1997) mentions in his article the importance of data protection. It is suggested that next to a comprehensive warranty, data stored on computers has to be protected. Companies could offer cloud storage for consumers who purchase refurbished computers so in case the equipment does fail, the data will n...
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1. How and why did the personal computer industry come to have such low average profitability?
From an analysis of the cradle to grave process, it is evident that while the Macbook Pro is not a recyclable product, the product is valuable to consumers because of various technological advances. However, due to the increasing importance of environmentally safe product disposal, Apple will need to modify the manufacturing process to create a recyclable product. The Macbook Pro will become a more popular product if Apple maintains the high standards of technological development and incorporates a low environmental impact into the cradle to grave process.
DataClear had also recorded very impressive sales growth in its first two years and, given the projections, were looking at 300 percent average revenue growth thru '02. The case analysis available shows that DataClear has a $600 million annual domestic market for its current product and $1.2 billion when you add in the global market in telecommunications and financial services. With product expansion, there was a potential annual $2.7 billion market ($1.5billion domestic/$1.26 billion abroad) to target in the telecommunications, financial services, chemical, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries combined.
Amazon.com operates in the Online Retail Industry. The sector is one of the fastest growing globally and is outperforming the ordinary retail marketplace. It was created after 1995 and it was only the Internet that made it possible for such an industry not only to be established but to become one of the most flourishing sectors in the business environment. What is interesting is that Amazon.com, together with eBay is the pioneer in the field. Both companies were launched in 1995 and are still extremely successful. The creation of e-mail in 1996 had a huge impact on the development of online retail by introducing a fast and easy way to communicate with customers. For this two-year period Internet usage doubled annually, thus, allowing for the expansion of the industry. Google is launched a year later, in 1998, only to become the most used search engine in the world and an essential partner for the online retailers by helping them tailor their websites to customer’s personal preferences and by advertising. After that, more and more people see the opportunity in the growing industry and enter it. By 2001 there are more than 513 million Internet users globally, which calls for action in terms of creating regulations and laws to protect the users and personal property. In 2003, Apple launches iTunes, and provides a platform for low-cost digital downloads. Another major change is the appearance of social media from 2004, which is one of the biggest influencer on the state of the industry. With the launch of iPhone in 2007, this trend strengthens as people get to enjoy the Internet anywhere they want to. From then on, technological advancements have made it extremely easy and fun to shop online, making it ...
...verything in the consumer’s home. Many techies would love to have a box that stores security video, TV, internet, photos and music. Make that Wi-fi and Bluetooth enabled so that they can access it anywhere in the world and you could be on to something bigger.
To further shore up his "IT as commodity" theory, Carr cites the fact that major technology vendors, such as Microsoft and IBM, are positioning themselves as "IT utilities," companies that control the provision of business applications over "the grid." Couple this IT-as-utility trend with the rapidly decreasing cost of processing power, data storage and transmission, and even the most "cutting-edge IT capabilities quickly become available to all."
The government has tried to improve the skill and knowledge of IT in the UK. Due to this effect, the population in the UK may feel more skilled in using PCs, and therefore this impact may increases the use of PCs at home, leading to a greater demand as consumers feel more confident in using them.
“Supply manager Joe Smith was considering the purchase of 1,000 desktop Personal Computers (PC’s) for his organization.
Historically the personal computer (PC) industry has sold its products at reasonably high prices yet garnered only small profit margins. One reason for this is the high competition in the PC industry which led to competitive pricing among producers. Analyzing the competitive environment of the PC industry, it is evident that there is very little barrier to entry in this market. PC's have very low physical uniqueness and are made of standard components that require very little expertise to assemble.
The invention of computers has made a huge change in human civilization and society, by changing the way people think. Computers replaced jobs and tedious repetitive thoughts that were done by human originally. People became more and more reliant on computers, and thus, computers became essential to our lives. Computers can manufacture products quickly, and eliminate possible human errors. As technology progresses, new ideas have been brought into computer to make them perform more efficiently. Also, scientists and engineers tend to make things “smaller”, so we can enjoy the benefits from electronic devices anywhere and anytime. Therefore, size and efficiency are two main points for consumers. Desktop computer and laptop computer are representatives for each of these concepts. Although desktops and laptops come from the same origin, they are different in many ways.
The PC industry is highly competitive and constantly changing as technology evolves and customer needs change. Some of the top competitors in the PC industry are IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Apple. Theses rivals are constantly jockeying for the top competitor’s position. They compete in prices, product innovation, advertising, etc.
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“One hundred and thirty-thousand computers are thrown out every day in the U.S., and over one hundred million cell phones every year” (CBS News). We live in a materialistic society where more is good and the newer the better. In our fast paced lives companies used this to their advantage to continual bring out newer upd...
The world of computers is a field that is not only very young, but is also rapidly changing. In one lifetime, computers have evolved from a multimillion dollar unit that filled entire buildings, to a few hundred dollar personal computer that fits on a desktop with more power than its predecessor. How does this change in cost, size and power affect our management decisions? To look at these areas, it should be understood that each characteristic not only makes a significant impact for management, but is enhanced by the other two changes.
As a technician, I get numerous calls everyday about how to overcome software problems, hardware problems, and everyday stupidity. The first two are usually a result of the third problem. That stupidity begins somewhere around the arrival of the initial thought to purchase the computer. Most people are fooled into believing that the need the fastest, most up to date and expensive technology to complete their task, despite the...