Philips NV has announced an earlier-than-expected UK launch date for its consumer CD-I compact disk-interactive multimedia players: the fireside-oriented machines will now start shipping from the beginning of May instead of in the summer as planned; Philips says the change in launch date was based on strong connsumer demand and retail reactions in the US since its introduction there last October, and on an encouraging UK response to the demonstration golf package installed in co-operating golf clubs up and down the country in order to test out the market; the UK launch, which had been waiting for the development of a sufficient selection of software titles, will initially include some from the US.
