What to do when the supply of dynamic memory chips is getting tight? Peacock Computer AG, German personal computer maker in Wnneberg-Haaren, has signed a contract with Samsung Electronics Co to guarantee delivery. Peacock said the agreement supplies it with chips for the next five years even if the market should suffer a drastic shortage. The decision, the first of its kind to be taken in Germany, will enable the company to survive no matter what said Peacock. But the commitment limits Peacock to Samsung chips and will exclude other suppliers. It may not be the best decision but it certainly is the safest, confessed a Peacock executive. Both Peacock and Samsung have spent considerable time at the table negotiating the details to the deal. The companies have co-operated with each other since 1987. Peacock founder Hartmut Hellweg recently awarded Samsung its Vendor of the Year award. The companies have also signed an agreement to produce a computer in Germany to be marketed in Asia, Japan and the Americas. The product, known as COUP, effectively bundles personal computer, hi-fi audio, video and optical disk technologies together in one integrated system. With it Peacock hopes to make its entry into the market for digital consumer electronics. The first product shipments are set for early 1996 and prices will start at around $900.
