Irresistible! Markets, Models, and Meta-Value in Consumer Electronics

Chapter 1. Irresistible Electronics, Turbulent Times

George Bailey, Hagen Wenzek

Consumer electronics (CE) are irresistible. There is nothing quite so fascinating as seeing someone else use a new gadget for the first time. We can’t help but wonder how that gadget could improve our own lives. Whether it’s music or sports on the go, uninterrupted access to friends and family, or more life-like entertainment in the home, new consumer technology sparks the imagination like nothing else.

It is no surprise then that Consumer Electronics revenue is soaring. The CEA estimates that CE will top $130 billion in the U.S. in 2006 and grow more than 2 times the current rate of GDP growth in the U.S. over the next four years.¹ CE companies continue to raise ...