Not-So-Golden Gateway

Gateway (North Sioux City, S.D.) announced that sales of its personal computers over the recent Thanksgiving weekend plunged 30 percent below last year's results. The company warned it would miss quarterly earnings and revenue forecasts, citing poor consumer demand for personal computers.

The report may reflect what appears to be a global slowing of demand for PCs. Dell Computer, the nation's top direct seller of computers, also recently reported earnings warnings. Computer stocks, including Compaq and Apple, fell across the board yesterday, after analysts warned that computer sales were weak.