Compaq cuts notebook prices

The price cuts affect its 3500, 6500, and 7800 Armada notebook lines.

The 7800 is Compaq's high-end flagship corporate line. The 3500 is a low-end slim model, and the 6500 is a higher-end thin design with extras such as a powerful graphics chip from ATI Technologies, a 300-MHz Pentium II processor, and a 14.1-inch LCD screen.

An Armada 6500 is now priced at $4,199, down from $4,999, a cut of 16 percent. The Armada 6500 Mobile Expansion Unit, which includes speakers and a bay for another hard drive, CD-ROM drive, or DVD drive, is now $299, reduced from $439, a decrease of 31.9 percent.

The Armada 3500 with a 266-MHz Pentium II processor and a 12.1 active-matrix screen is selling now for $2,799, down from $3,299, a drop of 15 percent.

An Armada 7800 with a 266-MHz Pentium II and 13.3-inch active-matrix screen, is now $3,599, down from $4,199, a cut of 14.3 percent. A 7800 with the same processor and 14.1-inch screen is now $4,199, down 16 percent from the previous price of $4,999.

Other 7800 and 3500 models were also received price cuts.