Viglen Technology Plc, the UK PC maker, has seen unit sales up 12% in its first five months of trading on the London Stock Exchange, but price erosion pegged turnover back by a similar amount, the company said. Net profits for the six months to December 31 were down 54.8% at 1.2m pounds while revenue fell 0.5% to 47.2m pounds. Viglen was floated in mid 1997 following the de- listing of its former majority shareholder, Amstrad Plc. The stock hit its peak of 86 pence in October last year on the news of a PC co-branding deal with Microsoft Corp. But since then its been a steep slide all the way down to 34 pence, following warnings at the annual general meeting in November that margins were falling in the face of over supply. Viglen’s decision to sell its Microsoft branded Home-pro PC through Dixons stores on the high street, rather than via its successful direct method, appears to have flopped. Only 3.4m pounds worth of units were sold, way below expectations, and the company is reviewing the situation. Alan Sugar, Viglen’s biggest shareholder, has seen yet another of his assets mauled by the stock market and Viglen has just announced that Sugar is to become executive chairman with immediate effect. The board has recommended an interim dividend of 0.4 pence per share.