11.   IBM said the stronger dollar, sluggish sales abroad and lower component prices cut into profits.

12.   Lower component prices are also allowing high-tech companies to cut prices, analysts said.

13.   Prices lately have been dropping faster than component prices, Kumar said.

14.   That allows it to keep little inventory and to take advantage quickly of falling component prices.

15.   The analyst said Sun can still squeeze respectable profits from the JavaStations because the machines are spare and because component prices have fallen sharply this year.

16.   The biggest threat to Dell is if component prices start rising.

17.   SMC has also adopted a pricing policy to bring its component prices down to the same level as its competitors.

18.   SHAH ALAM, Tues. - Edaran Otomobil Nasional will maintain the current price of Proton cars despite the higher cost of production arising from increased foreign component prices.

19.   The announcement of the joint venture comes amid predictions of a semiconductor glut with DRAM component prices falling in recent months.