“To buy a RON 10,000 notebook at present, in this time of crisis, seems rather extravagant. We are talking about different users for the Sony Vaio and Dell Latitude laptops, who have different expectations and wishes regarding the notebook they plan to buy. Sony’s products cannot compare to those offered by Dell, just as Dell’s products cannot compare to those by Sony,” Marius Ghenea, President and owner of the Fit Distribution group, that also operates the PCFun.ro, ShopIT.ro, 24pc.ro, and PCGarage.ro online stores, told Business Standard. Business users prefer Dell laptops, while personal users opt for a Sony.
Thus, while online stores usually deliver low and medium-priced laptops one day after the order is filed, retailers cannot risk keeping premium notebooks in stock, and they are available only on order or in a limited number of units. At PCFun, the most expensive Dell notebook, the Adamo Desire Onyx model, is available in limited stock for RON 9,312.15, while the premium Sony model, the Vaio TT laptop, can be purchased only on order, for RON 10,251.20.
“Dell Adamo addresses a niche segment, and so the market is rather narrow. We estimate that a few dozen units were sold in 2009,” said Horatiu Covlescu, Marketing Manager of Lasting Systems.
“In spite of the visible decline on the notebook market, Sony enjoyed a positive evolution, especially on the premium segment,” Catalin Neagu, Trade Marketing Manager of Vaio, said.
