Gateway Stops Selling Plasma & LCD TV’s
The computer maker Gateway confirmed Thursday that it is exiting the business that it entered with much fanfare in late 2002. At the time, Gateway snagged plenty of headlines and attention from rivals when it started selling a plasma TV for $3,000–thousands less than many competitors were charging. The company later added LCD models.
Gateway’s merger with Emachines and decision to close its chain of Gateway Country stores had a lot to do with the decision to get out of the television business, said IDC analyst Richard Shim. “They said that a lot of their success with the TVs came from the fact that people could go into the Gateway stores and touch and feel them,” Shim said. Even if customers eventually ordered them online, being able to check out the TVs in person was critical to the bulk of sales, he said.
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