NEW YORK – BeOn, a manufacturer of “next generation” digital devices which is a Division of CompUSA, announced the introduction of the Beon PC, a full-featured PC packaged in a small, elegant chassis.
Marketed to the TOHO (Tiny Office/Home Office = 1-5 employees), small business, educational, government, home and pro-sumers (gamers, leading edge consumers, software developers) users, the Beon PC is being introduced just as the industry is starting to look outside of the traditional beige box.
“Consumers want more than a 25lb. beige box,” said Mark Clauder, senior director of product development of BeOn Operating Company. “The PC industry, while quick to innovate technically, has been extremely slow to innovate in look, fit and finish. Everybody waits until someone else takes the risk. Here at BeOn, we’ve been waiting for the right moment, and with the launch of the new consumer operating system from Microsoft, that moment has come.”
Shipping with Microsoft Windows Me, the Beon PC is targeted at the “next generation” PC user.
“Our belief is that the beige PC is old and tired, and reflects the fashion of a bygone era,” continued Clauder. “The Beon PC is about fashion as much as it is about technical excellence. It’s a sharp looking machine and customers are ready for that.”
Configurations, Price & Availability
Some of the most innovative ideas of Beon are the service programs that are part of the Beon experience. Each Beon PC comes with a three-year, “bumper-to-bumper” on-site warranty with 7/24-telephone support. Each Beon PC is taken out of the box in the store. In-store personnel make sure the customer understands how to operate the computer before the leaving the store. Also included from BeOn, is a three-hour “Start Right” training class that the customer can schedule at any CompUSA store, and thirty-days of CompUSA’s telephone support for software is included.
Launching with two models at retail, the Beon PC is a full-featured machine. The LI-700 entry model sports an Intel Pentium III 700Mhz processor with 96MB SDRAM, 15GB Hard Drive, 3.5-inch Floppy, CDRW Drive, 56K modem, 10/100 NIC, Internet Keyboard, 2-button scroll mouse and Windows Me. The up-speed LI-800 model will feature an Intel PIII-800Mhz processor, 128MB SDRAM and a 40GB Hard Drive.
Prices start as low as $39.99 per month for the Beon LI-700 with a 15-inch CRT monitor to only $64.99 per month for the Beon LI-800 with a 15-inch TFT LCD monitor on the CompUSA credit card (48 months, state and local taxes are not included).
BeOn was established in July 2000 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Sanborns, S.A. The company’s goal is to provide a fashion forward private brand option to CompUSA customers. BeOn combines high-quality PCs and digital devices with CompUSA’s comprehensive product and service offerings.
Beon PC will be available at U.S. retailers, including CompUSA Superstores, in September 2000.
