It seems to be doing quite well now. Brooke Powers, vice president and general manager of Tech Data s Systems Division, said government demand for notebooks appears to be growing at both the upper and lower ends of the market. ThinkPad sales appear to be driven by federal, state and local government agencies, Powers said, while education customers are buying many of the Accers. But it s very low priced and you can take it anywhere. CD-ROMs seem to be standard.
Screen size seems to be the other big issue.
The larger-screen units seem to be moving better than the smaller ones. Extended warranties are another important consideration, said Cornell. Perhaps surprisingly, price is not an overriding concern for many government customers, according to Cornell. Most buyers seek value rather than low price, he said. Whether or not the reseller understands and is responsive to their needs is more important.