The one thing this does show is how important price is to the average consumer. At $500 and $700 Toshiba was able to move 100k in one year, but at $99, they can effectively about double their user base in one weekend. Not counting how many forum junkies were picking up second or third units, this really was a big victory in getting HD DVD into mainstream America. A lot of people were right, this is BD's war to lose, and they will have to mobilize into this price bracket to really put the screws to HD DVD.
Just so you know, the installed base of HD DVD standalones before this sale had surpassed 400,000, I believe, plus Xbox360 add-ons, which make up more than 100,000 more units.
So they're not doubling the installed base, just adding to it significantly.
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The one thing this does show is how important price is to the average consumer. At $500 and $700 Toshiba was able to move 100k in one year, but at $99, they can effectively about double their user base in one weekend. Not counting how many forum junkies were picking up second or third units, this really was a big victory in getting HD DVD into mainstream America. A lot of people were right, this is BD's war to lose, and they will have to mobilize into this price bracket to really put the screws to HD DVD.
Just so you know, the installed base of HD DVD standalones before this sale had surpassed 400,000, I believe, plus Xbox360 add-ons, which make up more than 100,000 more units.
So they're not doubling the installed base, just adding to it significantly.