This article is more than 1 year old

High street TFT displays hit £299

The start of the mass market

The UK's biggest computer retail chain, PC World, is starting to punt out 14.1-inch no-name TFT monitors for £299.

This is slightly below what the off-the-page/Internet boys are selling similar product at but they'll price match instantly.

PC World's previous lowest price TFT display was £349, so even though the cost of TFT's has been tumbling throughout the year, they've obviously dropped a little bit more. If PC World can afford the £299 price point, and it works on margins twice as fat as those of its direct selling competitors, there must have been some pricing give by the manufacturers.

The price isn't super amazing, based on what's being charged for TFTs already, but they'll certainly fly out of PC World showrooms. The product is something people want and has now hit a price point where people think they're getting a good deal.

David Atherton, MD of online IT retailer Dabs.com, said: "The TFT price crash is quite recent and many consumer IT buyers still think they're a £500 product. At £299 they think it's a bargain."

The TFT's are also an easy sell. You can take the line that they're better than CRT monitors because: there are no emissions so they're healthier (even if this is a bit of a bogus argument); they don't heat up like CRTs; and they aren't dust magnets like CRTs. Oh, and they're lighter and take up a lot less space.

The PC World product is called the Cornea MP400. It's 15cm deep and weighs 4.5kg. ®

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like