The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 52

D-2 TuenUy, December I. 1998 SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER New line gives Sharper Image a boost BLOOMBERG NEWS MICROSOFT from D-l Windows reopened at Microsoft trial "You can't have a computer without an operating system," Warren-Boulton said "Microsoft can raise the price without concern there will be that much of a fallofF in purchases by computer makers, he said. Few new morsels of information came to light as Richard Schwartz of the New York attorney general's office questioned Warren-Boulton. The lawyer introduced parte of a deposition by Microsoft Senior Vice President James Allchin to show how seriously the Redmond, Wash-based company viewed the threat that Internet browsers could supplant Windows. The U.S.

Justice Department and 20 states suing Microsoft allege the company set out to undermine Netscape Communications Navigator browser because it could have become a Windows alternative. Warren-Boulton said computer makers have no real alternative to Windows because most software applications are written to run on the operating system that is loaded onto more than 90 percent of the world's PCs. He said Microsoft's own documents show the company has raised prices over the last eight years in the absence of real competition. In 1990, Microsoft's Windows operating Bystem represented just 0.5 percent of the total cost of a PC. By 1996, that cost rose to 2.5 percent, he said, citing a confidential Microsoft document from March 1996.

Plus, Warren-Boulton testified, Microsoft recently acknowledged it "share of cost was only 5 percent. If that's an accurate number, it means it has now doubled since 1996." Microsoft denied the price figures prove it has monopoly power. "The government is lying with statistics through this document," said company spokesman Mark Murray. Sharper Image Corp. shares eased on profit taking Tuesday after nearly trebling during the previous session after the San Francisco-based specialty retailer reported a 50 percent increase in sales during Thanksgiving weekend, while investors began to anticipate growing gales from Internet orders.

Sharper Image, which rose $13.63 to $21.19 in fevered trading Monday, was off $3.94 to $17.25 at midday on Tuesday. The retailer of unusual gadgets and electronic toys said sales for the Thanksgiving weekend rose 50 percent from a year ago. Sales during the weekend at stores open at least a year rose 37 percent "They have great products and they introduced a terrific proprietary line (of items) that are expected to be big sellers," Sosnick said. "We are very pleased with the Thanksgiving weekend results because we achieved the outstanding sales result without using promotional pricing," said Richard Thal-heimer, Sharper Image's founder, chairman and chief executive officer. "Our proprietary Sharper Image Design products have proved to be very successful.

We began to fill in our inventory of these popular exclusive products during November and expect the strong sales momentum to continue in December," Thalheimer said. Sharper Image operates 84 stores throughout the United States. Examiner news services contributed to this report The company benefited from its new line of proprietary product items the company has begun to manufacture for itself through its product development group, Sharper Image Design. Sharper Image formerly sold only gizmos by other companies. It began selling its own, less-expensive products early this month.

"They've been aiming all year to capitalize on their new proprietary products during the Christmas season. Now here it is," said analyst Bernard Sosnick of Genesis Merchant Group who rates the stock "buy." The company's shares also got a boost from expectations its Web site, www.sharperimage.com, will benefit from the fervor for holiday sales on the Internet Sharper Image shares rose 42 percent last week amid optimism that on-line holiday sales will double this year. ENTRAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. Fly Business Class Great Prices on business class first class air tickets WIDE SELECTION AT LOW PRICES compare our prices 10 wnat 5000 Hardware in you ve Deen paying mm www 4 ror major amines. Not a coupon broker; Software Items In Stock 7i we are tariff specialists TRAVELCRAFT http:www.centrcilcomputer.com San Francisco (415) 495-5888 Santa Clara (408) 248-5888 Newark (510)793-5555 aTlAMEHICAS PARTNEft (800)241-1223 (415)924-5570 Reg 1 These high interest rates available through December 1 1, 1998 rLOR woodrow Homes, inc.

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