Dell and Wal-Mart

Dell and Wal-Mart have entered into an agreement to sell Dell computers in Wal-Mart stores. According to CyberNet News, starting this month Wal-Mart will offer the Dimension E521 with or without its 19-inch monitor. According to Dell’s web site, the E521 “can be built with a range of AMD processors,” comes pre-loaded with Windows Vista, and is priced starting at $359. No one is saying what Wal-Mart’s version will look like or how much it will cost.

Analysts in print and on weblogs seem to think that Dell and Wal-Mart are something of an odd couple. In an article from the Los Angeles Times, Forrester Research analyst J.P. Gownder warned, “You don’t want the Dell name and the Wal-Mart name to get too closely associated” because Wal-Mart’s image is not as upscale as Dell’s.

For the customer I think this is a great decision. Dell is well-known for making quality computers, but many people will never consider buying from Dell because they are still not comfortable buying a computer without seeing it “in person” first. Hewlett-Packard already sells their computers in retail stores like Wal-Mart (as a matter of fact, I bought my Compaq Presario at a local Staples store). Why shouldn’t Dell?

Tags: Dell, Wal-Mart, Computers

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