By Siti Syameen Md Khalili

HD sells

Large-sized LCD screen with full high-definition (HD) support is the rave among consumers these days, as H.C. Yeong, assistant manager of Computer War Sdn Bhd, will testify.

He says in the first quarter of this year, among the top five tech items sold by the company were 22- and 24-inch widescreen full HD screens, specifically model VX2260wm and VX2433vm from Viewsonic that are HDMI-ready and support full HD 1,080p.

According to him, consumers are also opting for high-capacity external hard disks, ranging from 250 gigabytes to one terabyte of storage, and multimedia TV player devices such as the Real RMVB Media TV player and Western Digital WDTV (HD) Media Player.

The proliferation of broadband also has boosted sales for networking products such as wireless modems and Internet security software, he points out.

According to Yeong, there are several key reasons why these devices are topping the sales chart.

"For corporate users, they need the computer and Internet to conduct business transactions and communications. They also rely on external storage to back up their information, and anti-virus applications to protect their online business operations from hackers and other threats. The modem has become an essential item, too, as far as Internet connectivity is concerned."

As for home users, Yeong says the Internet as an entertainment outlet and online channel for movies, photos, blogs and games is promoting the need for more storage space to store the downloaded media. He adds that consumers target multimedia TV player devices and mobility products as well.

"Multimedia TV player devices are high in demand lately. It plugs directly to the TV for quick movie playback without connecting to a computer. For consumers with little or no knowledge in operating a computer, it is a useful product as it is fully operated with a remote control. In terms of mobility products, we have lowpriced laptops, netbooks, wireless broadband, WiMax, 3.5G and Bluetooth."

Yeong sees less desktop demand this year. "Everything seems to be geared towards mobility and wireless. Even companies are providing laptops for their staff these days," he says.

But demand for higher-end desktop computers is still high in the market, Yeong says. "These higher-end desktop computers are popular among gamers. They have high expectations on the overall performance of their machines, as for them every second counts." Yeong believes that indoor entertainment equipment and Internet security solutions will likely continue to be hot favourites among Malaysian consumers.

"We hope to sell more media players and external storage media products. We plan to source for similar products that offer more features and functions as well as provide greater bargains for consumers. We will also beef up our after-sales support and services," he says.

AV business as usual

In the audio-visual retail segment, it's business as usual, says Kenny Sin, Hi-Way Laser Electronics Sdn Bhd's branch manager.

According to him, there has not been a significant drop nor increase in sales since the beginning of this year.

"Hi-Way Laser offers all kinds of AV, hi-fi, home theatre and karaoke equipment as well as multi-room solutions. Apart from products, we provide end-to-end service from installation to sound system and cabling. The AV business in Malaysia is still considered small, unlike Hong Kong or Taiwan, yet there has been a steady growth of AV consumers," he observes.

For Hi-Way Laser, sales performance is different from month to month. "Sometimes we sell more hi-fi systems, at other times our karaoke systems do better. Basically, our mid- to highend solutions are still doing well in the market," says Sin, whose company brings in such products as speakers, cables, mics, wireless systems, amplifiers and projectors from brands including Krell, BMB, Bowers & Wilkins, Ayre, Pioneer and Marantz.

He adds that with the growing number of AV buffs in Malaysia, consumers sometimes do not know where to buy the necessary equipment. To cater to this relatively new segment, Hi-Way Laser makes use of its Web site at www.hiwaylaser.com to disseminate as much information as possible.

For first-time buyers in the current tough times, Sin suggests that they set a budget and shop around for the best bargains.

Gadget fix

Consumers cannot seem to get enough of consumable tech items which have attractive features.

Teoh Wee Ann, product manager of Vertex Distribution Sdn Bhd, made this comment based on the company's first-quarter sales performance.

"Vertex's top five gadgets sold in Q1 are A4 Tech's XL-740 Gaming Mouse, G300 Gaming Keyboard, Shogun Colour Laser/ Inkjet Paper, Vizo Notebook Cooler and Enermax Tomahawk Power Supply. These are products from top global brands and they fit different user behaviours. These items come with great features at affordable prices," he says.

According to Teoh, under the tough economic conditions, these products are still selling well because customers realise that they offer value for money. "They want to maximise every bit of their hard-earned ringgit.- Teoh is confident that consumers will keep spending their money throughout the year.

"We hope to achieve better sales turnover than previously by releasing more new models with greater functions and features, to fulfil consumer needs more precisely."

This story was first published in The New Straits Times.