翻译为:您可以将网上零售商分成三个子类,用不同的战略对付他们.
Buyingcomputerandsoftware
Atfirst,Iwasreluctanttobuycomputerproductscompletelyonline.Manyoftheonlinecomputerstoresusedtosellexclusivelythroughprintedcatalogs,addressingthetechnicallyastute.Ifoundthoseprintedcatalogsintimidatingandconfusing.Andpreferredtogotoaphysicalstore,whereknowledgeablesalespeoplecouldguidemethroughthemazeofchoices,explainingthebenefitsandrisksandcosts.
Whenegghead,theprominentsoftwareretailer,closeditsphysicalstoresanddecidedtooperatesolelyonline,Iwasshockedanddisappointed,asIhadshoppedhardwareorsoftwareregularlyatthelocaleggheadstoreanddependedonexpertise,judgmentandadvicefromtheirsalespeople.Also,IgreatlyvaluedthefactthatwhenIbroughtnewadd-onsorupgradesformyPC,Icouldpaytohavetheminstalledonthespot.ButnowIwasforcedtolearnmoreaboutcomputersthanIeverexpectedtolearn.Asitturnsout,that’sprobablyagoodthingformeandformybudget.
Today,thecomputerindustryisacommodity,standards-drivenmarketplace.Computer“manufactures”arereallyjustassembles.Theybuyprocessorsfromone,software,disks,memories,fromothersources,andassemblethemintosystems.Thecompetitionisfierceandtheprofitmarginsareslim.Intermsofthebasicspecs—speed,memory,andstorage—whatwenowdefineasa“completesystem”forhomeusewouldhavemadeawealthytechnicalgurutremblewithjealousytenyearsago.
Fifteenyearsago,isseemedinconceivablethatanordinaryindividualwouldeverneeda100MHZmachinewith1gigabyteofdiskstoragespace.Yet,withthepredictableimprovementoftechnology,thespeedofcommerciallyavailableprocessorsdoublesaboutevery18monthsaccordingtoaruleofthumb(knownas“Moore’slaw”).Whileatsomepoint,technologymustmeetbarriersthatwillslowthepaceofchange,thecomputerindustryhasbeenadaptingatthisincrediblyrapidrateformorethantwodecadesnow,withgreatregularity.Andthesoftwareindustryhasbeenkeepinginlockstepwiththesehardwaredevelopmentsbymakingeachnewversionofthecommonapplicationsthatpeopledependuponmoreandmorecomplexandbulky,requestingthefullcapacityofthelatestandgreatesthardware.Ibelievethissoftwareinflationresultsfromtheconsequencesofhumannature—softwareexpandstofillthecapacityavailableforit.
Basically,“Moore’slaw”plussoftwareinflationmeantoday’scomputersystemwillnotlast.Andthenewversionsofsoftwarewillmakeyourequipmentpainfullyslowintwoyears,andobsoleteinfour.Tostaycompatiblewithotherpeoplewithwhomyouhavetosharefiles,youshouldinvesttimelearningabouttheseadd-onsgadgets,etc.toupgradeyoursystem.ThusyoucanmakefulluseoftheshoppingresourcesontheInternet,andsaveagainandagain.
刚开始的时候,我不太情愿完全依靠网络购买电脑产品.许多网上电脑商店过去主要靠打出来的产品目录进行销售,上面清楚地写明了技术需求.但是我总认为那样的产品目录看起来让人感觉有些发怵而且稀里糊涂的,所以我还是偏爱实体商店,因为那里有精通业务的销售人员,他们能指引我走出迷宫做出选择,他们还能向我解释产品的优点,风险性和成本.
当著名的软件销售商Egghead关闭实体店铺,决定只走网络运营路线的时候我感觉震惊和失望.因为我总是定期到Egghead在当地的实体店铺去购买软件和硬件,仰仗那里的销售人员的专业技能,判断力和经验.还有一点让我非常看重的是:每当我购买新的附加软件或是将我的个人电脑升级时,我只需付些费用就可以让他们在现场给我安装完毕.但是现在我却被迫去了解更多的电脑知识,而我以前是不需要了解这么多的.但是后来发现,这或许对我来说是件好事,而且节省了我的预算.
今天,计算机产业是一种商品,是一个以标准为市场导向的市场.计算机”制造者”们实际上只不过是组装者.他们从某个渠道购买处理器,从其它渠道购买软件,光盘和内存,然后将它们组装成系统.竞争是激烈的,利润空间也不大.从最基本的配置——速度,内存和硬盘空间——来讲,我们现在所定义的家用”全套系统”足以让十年前富有的技术权威羡慕地发颤不可.
