Gitex price wars among laptop sellers create unmatched bargain

Dubai: Computer vendors have broken an unimaginable barrier this year with several laptop models on offer for under Dh2,000.

The steady and progressive price cuts of components, coupled with aggressive Gitex pricing campaigns, have enabled computer makers to reduce prices to levels that were thought to be impossible to reach.

Fujitsu-Siemens' most affordable notebook, the Amilo Pro V2055, comes in at Dh1,499 under a Gitex-only limited offer and component configuration.

It comes with a one-year warranty, 256 MB memory, 15.4 inch screen, 40 GB hard drive, an Intel Celeron M 420 processor, DVD player and CD player and burner components that make up a bare-bones system without the extra features some expect from their laptops. Some operating systems, for example, requires 256 MB memory at a minimum.

Fujitsu first broke the sub-Dh 2000 barrier early in 2006 during a technology fair in Saudi Arabia, as part of its strategy to offer the most competitively priced computers during expos like Gitex

"Everybody waits for Gitex to come around," said Maria Sorger, marketing operations manager for Fujitsu Siemens Middle East. "People wait to get a good deal, and that is the market where you fill that need."

Acer also offers a competitively priced laptop priced during GITEX. Its Acer Aspire 3682WXCi, at Dh1,899, is priced slightly higher than the Fujitsu-Siemens model and comes with a few added features including Windows XP home edition.

Graham Braum, Acer's product marketing manager for mobility products, said the recent price drops have arisen from increased demand and technological innovation.

"In last two years in particular, we've seen a lot of component decreases from a lot of manufacturers," said Braum. Demand is being created mostly by the consumer and also from the small to mid-sized business segment and the small office, home office (SOHO) group.

As demand has risen, comsumers have enjoyed significant price drops in virtually all components including the material chassis, CPUs and memory.