Computers will be cheaper than ever. Families that could never afford a PC will be able to buy one for not much more than they would spend for a large television set. Now the primary objective for many first-time buyers is to learn the technology. Because these consumers are PC neophytes, PC makers. And there lies the rub.
Support is expensive, but cheap PCs have a thin profit margin.
So while the report urges PC makers to prepare for this onslaught of support calls, it's unlikely they'll listen. We'll be saving money, but increasingly we'll be on our own to figure out how the PC works. Think before you buy Which brings us to my advice for the first-time buyer. A computer is not like a television set. The Internet is not like cable.