Computers follow consumers home

Drawing considerable retail traffic during the [1982 Summer Consumer Electronics Show] was Timex, which starts national deliveries late this month on its under-$100 TS 1000. Dan Ross, vice president, computer products, told Mart the unit will be on allocation at the beginning.

“Having it on allocation allows us to bring some needed order and integrity into the computer business,” he explained. “We have the potential this year to sell more units than were sold in the history of the market, but we expect to have more demand than supply. So we’re insisting that dealers carrying the unit provide sales training for their people and make a commitment to the product and its peripherals.”

Timex will begin consumer advertising for the computer August 30, using both print ads and TV commercials.

Initially Timex will offer 23 software programs, from three suppliers; by the end of the year the software library will more than double, Ross said. “Games will be about one-third of the initial software offering, but they won’t be our major thrust,” he added. “We feel this is a very serious product.”

At first the software for the Timex computer will be sold only through stores carrying the hardware, Ross added, “but I see no reason why say, beyond 1983, it couldn’t be sold through software-only outlets.”

Ross of Timex predicted, “Educational and home-management programs will undoubtedly be big sellers. Ease of use of the computer in the home will become a strong driving force too, as consumer realize they can do things such as banking at home.”