Then it will have to start knocking down those walls and give IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell a fighting chance to compete effectively against Legend on the mainland. In April, top brass announced the company would split in two. Legend Computer Systems Ltd. will focus on the hardware and distribution business and move into wireless devices, Net service, and portals. We're trying to ensure employees understand that the Net, not the computer, will lead our development,'' says Legend Digital China President Guo Wei, 37. The Web remains in its infancy in China.
Legend wants a piece of that.
First step is to make all its products Internet-enabled. Buyers of the Tianxi PC get a year of free Net access through China Telecom Ltd., the nation's largest service provider. Special keys take users to popular sites, e-mail, and technical support menus. Legend also has embarked on a foray into set-top boxes that allow people to surf with their TVs. Eager to exploit China's 80 million cable subscribers, Legend has teamed up with Richard Li's Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd. to develop a broadband cable service.