Compusa

DALLAS -- CompUSA Inc. Chief Financial Officer Mervyn Benjet has resigned, two days after the struggling computer retailer reported a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, the company announced yesterday.Mr. Benjet, who also stepped down as a director, declined to comment on his resignation, which CompUSA said was effective Thursday. He said he has no plans."I haven't considered what I'm going to do next. I haven't really contemplated the future," he said.CompUSA said Mr. Benjet will be replaced on an interim basis by James Skinner, senior vice president of finance and planning, until a successor can be found.

Going-out-of-business sales can seem like a bonanza. But before you pounce on tantalizing merchandise at post-holiday liquidation sales, realize that those marked-down goodies can come with some major limitations. Furthermore, realize that the decision to do business with a business that's not planning on being around for long is very risky business. As Steve Hannan, executive director of the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, said of buying from insolvent companies, "You've got to be a gambling man to do that."

CompUSA Inc., the nation's largest chain of computer superstores, said yesterday that it will open two stores in the Baltimore area, setting up a clash of "category killers" that could ram down computer hardware and software prices throughout the region.Nathan Morton, president and chief executive of the Dallas-based company, said the two stores, each as big as a medium-sized grocery store, will open within six months. He declined to specify the locations because lease negotiations are not complete.

As civil rights leaders are increasingly fond of saying, economic empowerment is the next frontier of their movement. Nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner -- heard locally each morning on WHUR-FM -- knows this perhaps better than anyone on the airwaves. This week, after more than 10 weeks of lambasting CompUSA Inc. for its failure to advertise on black radio stations, Joyner corralled the company's chief executive officer into an on-air admission that his company had ignored black customers.

Charles Bowers is a software developer who would like nothing better than to drop by his neighborhood computer store to look for bargains.Unfortunately, he says, the CompUSA store in Glen Burnie treats him more like a shoplifter than a customer.The Linthicum man, who is quadriplegic, has filed suit in federal court against three Comp-USA stores in Maryland claiming they are violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.Bowers says the entrances at the stores in Glen Burnie, Towson and Rockville are partially blocked by locked gates that require someone in a wheelchair to call an employee to gain access.

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Apple Computer Inc. said yesterday that computer retailer CompUSA Inc. will be the only national retail chain to sell its computers, phasing out sales at five other national chains.Apple, which already had an agreement to build small boutiques for Macintosh products inside CompUSA stores, said it will phase out sales at Sears, Roebuck and Co., Best Buy Co., Circuit City Stores Inc., Computer City and Office Max stores.Apple reported an unexpected profit in its first quarter ended Dec. 26, partly because of stronger-than-expected sales of its new Power Macintosh G3 computer.

You are an investigative archaeologist for the Interstellar Transportation Commission, and your mission is to find a mysterious artifact aboard a deserted luxury cruiser found adrift in space.Or is it really deserted?Welcome to the S. S. Majestic, the creation of a trio of Loyola College students who have developed a CD-ROM computer game that could be the sleeper hit of this holiday season.Released just last month, "Majestic, Part 1: Alien Encounter" is already in its second run, according to its publisher.

DALLAS -- Apple Computer Inc. is expected to announce plans to sell products through superstores at a news conference scheduled Friday in Santa Clara, Calif.Separately, industry sources said that CompUSA, the Dallas pioneer of computer superstores, is training its staff to begin selling Apple Macintosh products the week beginning June 9, shortly after Apple discloses its latest "channel strategy."As previously reported, that strategy appears to include the "channel" known as superstores, the discount outlets that CompUSA created when it was known as Soft Warehouse.

Going-out-of-business sales can seem like a bonanza. But before you pounce on tantalizing merchandise at post-holiday liquidation sales, realize that those marked-down goodies can come with some major limitations. Furthermore, realize that the decision to do business with a business that's not planning on being around for long is very risky business. As Steve Hannan, executive director of the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, said of buying from insolvent companies, "You've got to be a gambling man to do that."

Tom Creutzer maneuvered his wheelchair through the heavy door into the KFC at 7722 Harford Road yesterday, but was stymied by the hall leading to the restrooms -- it was much too narrow for the chair."

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said yesterday that fiscal third-quarter profit rose a better-than-expected 27 percent as the discount chain kept a lid on costs and sold more paper goods, cosmetics and other household items.Net income rose to $1.01 billion, or 45 cents a share, from $792 million, or 35 cents, a year earlier, beating analysts' forecasts by 2 cents. Revenue for the quarter, which ended Oct. 31, rose 16 percent to $33.51 billion from $28.78 billion.

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Apple Computer Inc. said yesterday that computer retailer CompUSA Inc. will be the only national retail chain to sell its computers, phasing out sales at five other national chains.Apple, which already had an agreement to build small boutiques for Macintosh products inside CompUSA stores, said it will phase out sales at Sears, Roebuck and Co., Best Buy Co., Circuit City Stores Inc., Computer City and Office Max stores.Apple reported an unexpected profit in its first quarter ended Dec. 26, partly because of stronger-than-expected sales of its new Power Macintosh G3 computer.

Charles Bowers is a software developer who would like nothing better than to drop by his neighborhood computer store to look for bargains.Unfortunately, he says, the CompUSA store in Glen Burnie treats him more like a shoplifter than a customer.The Linthicum man, who is quadriplegic, has filed suit in federal court against three Comp-USA stores in Maryland claiming they are violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.Bowers says the entrances at the stores in Glen Burnie, Towson and Rockville are partially blocked by locked gates that require someone in a wheelchair to call an employee to gain access.

Tom Creutzer maneuvered his wheelchair through the heavy door into the KFC at 7722 Harford Road yesterday, but was stymied by the hall leading to the restrooms -- it was much too narrow for the chair."

You are an investigative archaeologist for the Interstellar Transportation Commission, and your mission is to find a mysterious artifact aboard a deserted luxury cruiser found adrift in space.Or is it really deserted?Welcome to the S. S. Majestic, the creation of a trio of Loyola College students who have developed a CD-ROM computer game that could be the sleeper hit of this holiday season.Released just last month, "Majestic, Part 1: Alien Encounter" is already in its second run, according to its publisher.

Under a blue tarpaulin on the selling floor of the Computer City store in Glen Burnie lie five pallets of Windows 95 boxes, piled up to create a pyramid effect. Store employees call it "Microsoft Mountain."Today the store cannot sell even one of the thousands of shrink-wrapped packages -- lest it bring down upon itself the wrath of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and his lethal legions of lawyers. "If we sell it, we die," Computer City President Alan Bush said yesterday.But tomorrow "at one nanosecond past midnight," said Mr. Bush, the tarp will come off and Windows 95 will emerge into the yearning marketplace.

Under a blue tarpaulin on the selling floor of the Computer City store in Glen Burnie lie five pallets of Windows 95 boxes, piled up to create a pyramid effect. Store employees call it "Microsoft Mountain."Today the store cannot sell even one of the thousands of shrink-wrapped packages -- lest it bring down upon itself the wrath of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and his lethal legions of lawyers. "If we sell it, we die," Computer City President Alan Bush said yesterday.But tomorrow "at one nanosecond past midnight," said Mr. Bush, the tarp will come off and Windows 95 will emerge into the yearning marketplace.

Chicago - The same forces that created the nation's Wal-Marts, K marts and discount drug emporiums are at work in the computer industry, spawning a new breed of warehouse-size forums for the sale of personal computers.So far, only a handful of such outlets exist nationwide. But for the once-elite personal computer market, mass merchandising appears to be the password for the 1990s.For instance, Tandy Corp. recently announced plans to phase out 200 of its Radio Shack Computer Center stores in favor of six larger Computer City Supercenters this year.

DALLAS -- CompUSA Inc. Chief Financial Officer Mervyn Benjet has resigned, two days after the struggling computer retailer reported a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, the company announced yesterday.Mr. Benjet, who also stepped down as a director, declined to comment on his resignation, which CompUSA said was effective Thursday. He said he has no plans."I haven't considered what I'm going to do next. I haven't really contemplated the future," he said.CompUSA said Mr. Benjet will be replaced on an interim basis by James Skinner, senior vice president of finance and planning, until a successor can be found.

CompUSA Inc., the nation's largest chain of computer superstores, said yesterday that it will open two stores in the Baltimore area, setting up a clash of "category killers" that could ram down computer hardware and software prices throughout the region.Nathan Morton, president and chief executive of the Dallas-based company, said the two stores, each as big as a medium-sized grocery store, will open within six months. He declined to specify the locations because lease negotiations are not complete.