Packard Bell's woes reflect a bad bet, not a marketwide drop in PC demand
Article Abstract:
Analysts believe that computer maker Packard Bell is facing a severe cash crunch due to an inventory glut of 75MHz Pentium-based computers, which consumers have not purchased as rapidly as higher-end Pentium-based machines. Analysts base their contentions on an unusual filing that Intel made with the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that reported that Intel had converted $470 million in receivables to a loan. Intel refused to provide the name of the customers, but many analysts believe that the customer is Packard Bell. Packard Bell is a closely-held, private company that is reluctant to provide any financial information. Analysts contend that Packard Bell incorrectly bet that the PC market would focus on lower-cost 75MHz Pentium-based systems, rather than higher-end machines that are a few hundred dollars more expensive. Packard Bell's thin margins make its inventory glut difficult to manage.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1995
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Faster, but more expensive, electronic returns
Article Abstract:
There are good reasons to file a tax return electronically: refunds are speeded; errors are minimized; and the government saves money. Nevertheless, there can be drawbacks to an electronic filing. For one thing, taxpayers who file electronically must pay extra to do so. For another thing, some documents might need to be sent in by mail, and some complex filings will not be accepted electronically. Moreover, computer owners cannot simply file from their homes. Intermediary companies actually file returns. Even so, electronic filing is increasingly popular. Jackson-Hewitt Tax Service, a nationwide chain, reports 200,000 returns filed electronically already in 1992. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expects about 10 million returns to be filed that way this year, out of a total of about 114 million returns.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1992
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