LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dell Inc., the No. 1 personal computer maker, plans to begin offering a broad range of consumer electronics products and could start selling flat-panel TVs fairly soon, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Dell's move into consumer electronics comes as both it and rivals target the market for televisions and other products, a market dominated by Panasonic, Sony Corp., Thomson's and Philips.
"My guess is that we'll be in flat-panel TVs at some point. We have not confirmed it but my guess is we'll be in it within a reasonably short period of time," Dell COO Kevin Rollins told reporters before a speech here.
"It's a matter of time before we evolve into a broader range of consumer electronics products," he said.
Facing slower demand for personal computers, PC makers are turning to personal entertainment devices, such as digital cameras, MP3 players, and high-definition TVs, which are seen as key growth areas in the $100 billion consumer electronics market.
Gateway Inc., for example, sells flat-screen TVs and low-cost digital cameras sporting the Gateway brand.
Dell, meanwhile, has done well with its Axim line of personal digital assistants and Dell-branded printers, which are manufactured by Lexmark International Inc. It recently started selling plasma televisions.