Vista Will Enter The Market On High-End PCs

Windows Vista will first benefit niche players in the consumer PC industry. Natural winners will include vendors of high-end PCs like Sony and Toshiba, whose products will appeal to the nearly one-third of online consumers who show early awareness of Vista. Vista needs to be seen and experienced to be understood by consumers. Consequently, vendors whose retail experiences are able to demonstrate the subtle advantages Vista enjoys over XP will win early as well. Both high-end PC vendors and those with effective retail strategies have the opportunity to take market share away from direct sellers like Dell in the short run. Over the longer term, Dell has the opportunity to retake market momentum, as Vista's promise is fulfilled with rich applications and connected experiences that can be easily incorporated into a direct sales model.