Electronic Data Systems Corp has begun assembling its own brand personal computers at its Technical Products division in Plano, Texas, and plans eventually to offer them mail-order or over the phone, Electronic News reports. The initial reason for the move was because the US government market for personal computers is becoming so cut-throat that shaving all possible costs is essential to win business, and the General Motors Corp subsidiary found that it was cheaper to assemble machines itself rather than buy them OEM. As a result, the company is able to offer a 33MHz full 80486 machine with 4Mb, 80Mb disk and 14 monitor at $1,500. It uses motherboards from First International Corp, San Jose, disks from Maxtor Corp and SyQuest Inc, and monitors from Nokia Oy. The US trade weekly reports that the company plans to offer the machines first to government employees, who will be able to buy them off its multiple awards schedule contract with the US federal General Services Administration, before moving on to start marketing to the general public, starting out in the Washington DC area, although the company declined to confirm the latter plan.
