Article: The French connection.(French superstore Geant uses Internet service contract-based promotion to sell low-cost Cyrix MII-based PCs)(Company Business and Marketing)

An experiment at a European superstore demonstrates a new model for selling microprocessors

A marketing experiment recently conducted by microprocessor vendor Cyrix Corp., a National Semiconductor Corp. subsidiary, may pave the way for the chip company to wring profit out of the sub-$500 PC market.

In January, French superstore chain Geant ran a two-week offer to consumers: a $299 multimedia PC based on the 300-megahertz MII Cyrix processor and Windows 98. The catch? Customers had to sign up for a two-year contract with Paris-based Internet service provider Infonie.

Cyrix began orchestrating the deal last summer by bringing together the ...

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