Sounds like Santa didn't send the elves out shopping for new computers as he stocked up on gifts this year. According to a Reuters article, "anecdotal evidence" indicates that personal computers weren't exactly the hot ticket this holiday buying season. (Given the lackluster crowd at the Chicago Micro Center last Saturday night, we can throw another anecdote on the pile.) The probable result is an imminent price war, as already-beleaguered computer manufacturers slash prices to the bone in an effort to dump scads of rapidly-depreciating inventory. You know those tech stocks that took a massive hit with the recent round of less-than-pleasant earnings forecasts? We fully expect them to get hammered still further if this "brutal war" erupts.

Of course, most of you don't much care what happens to Dell or Gateway or any of the other beige box-builders. What matters is how this price war might affect Apple. Since those merry Mac-makers produce a distinctly different product than the rest of the rabble, you might think they could emerge from this situation relatively unscathed, right? Wrong-- at least, that's what the article says. "Apple Computer Inc. could be one of the hardest hit," due to that whole Cube debacle and what appears to be a lukewarm consumer response to those Jeff Goldblum "hey look, I can use my iMac to make a web page of footage of myself dancing like an idiot" commercials. Apple expected sales to fall a whopping 40% this holiday season, which is indeed a Santa-sized spanking.

But hey, look on the bright side. If Apple is indeed dragged through the razor wire just like the rest of them, that may mean that the company (and therefore the longer-term health and prosperity of the Macintosh platform) suffers miserably, but at least you may get to pick up a nice Mac for real cheap! Personally, we've been avoiding the crazed post-Christmas year-end clearance sales in Retailville, but anyone who's willing to get in there and get a little bloody might emerge with a great deal. And depending on how well Apple's recent rebate promotions went over with consumers, the company may be forced to cut prices still further to liquidate any professional products still in the channel one the new Power Macs and PowerBooks (hopefully) emerge in January. This could be a virtual windfall for those of you who are finally considering replacing your LCIII's and IIci's. And when you take advantage of Apple's sorry state by picking up a Mac or two at sinfully low prices, don't worry about Steve-- he's still got his jet to play with.