December 19, 1996 11:00 AM ET
Hitachi breaks into Top 10 notebook ranks
By Charles Cooper

Less than six months after entering the U.S. computer market, Hitachi PC Corp. has broken into the Top 10 ranking of notebook vendors. The Japanese subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. had the 10th largest share in the U.S. notebook market, according to a new report from International Data Corp. For Hitachi, which established a PC unit in late 1995, the company's success is in marked contrast to the experiences of some Japanese-based systems vendors that have tried to crack the U.S. computer market. In the past, critics faulted the Japanese companies for not giving their American subsidiaries enough latitude for quick decision-making. Indeed, analysts attributed Hitachi's success to its decision to give its managers the green light in making their own decisions without waiting for permission from Tokyo. At the same time, Hitachi assembles its laptops in San Jose, Calif., from parts shipped over from Asia. Hitachi shipped its initial notebooks in May. Copyright(c) 1996 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company is prohibited. PC Week and the PC Week logo are trademarks of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. PC Week Online and the PC Week Online logo are trademarks of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. Send mail to PC Week