Yes, the "subzeros"—the flock of sub-$1,000 PCs that have taken over the majority of the home market—are out in great number and improved over last Christmas season's models.

Last, but not least, Intel's own research shows there's a huge market for what in the U.S. is called the "sub-zero" computer. In U.S. terms, that means a system selling for under $1,000. In the Canadian market, the magic number appears to be about $1,499.

Perik said entire children's software industry had strong 2nd half in 1997, "largely fueled by the so-called sub-zero (sub-$1,000) PC penetration."