anticipates a significant sequential decline in quarterly net sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2001, in part due to the Company's plan to reduce substantially the level of inventory in its distribution channels from the amounts at the end of fiscal 2000 to more normal levels by the end of the first quarter.

Many of the Company's products are manufactured in whole or in part by third-party manufacturers. In addition, the Company has outsourced much of its transportation and logistics management. While outsourcing arrangements may lower the fixed cost of operations, they also reduce the Company's direct control over production and distribution. It is uncertain what effect such diminished control will have on the quality or quantity of the products manufactured, or the flexibility of the Company to respond to changing market conditions. Moreover, although arrangements with such manufacturers may contain provisions for warranty expense reimbursement, the Company may remain at least initially responsible to the ultimate consumer for warranty service or in the event of product defects. Any unanticipated product defect or warranty liability, whether pursuant to arrangements with contract manufacturers or otherwise, could adversely affect the Company's future operating results and financial condition.

Although certain components essential to the Company's business are generally available from multiple sources, other key components (including microprocessors and application specific integrated circuits ("ASICs")) are currently obtained by the Company from single or limited sources. Some other key components (including without limitation DRAM, TFT-LCD flat-panel displays, and optical and magnetic disk drives), while currently available to the Company from multiple sources, are at times subject to industry wide availability and pricing pressures. In addition, new products introduced by the Company often initially utilize custom components obtained from only one source until the Company has evaluated whether there is a need for and subsequently qualifies additional suppliers. In situations where a component or product utilizes new technologies, initial capacity constraints may exist until such time as the suppliers' yields have matured. The Company and other producers in the personal computer industry also compete for various components with other industries (such as the cellular phone and automotive industries) that have experienced increased demand for their products. The Company uses some components that are not common to the rest of the personal computer industry (including certain microprocessors and ASICs). Continued availability of these components may be affected if producers were to decide to concentrate on the production of components other than those customized to meet the Company's requirements. If the supply of a key component were to be delayed or constrained on a new or existing product, the Company's results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected, depending on the time required to obtain sufficient quantities from the original source, or, if possible, to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from