INTEL and Dell Computers, both of which have sizeable Irish operations, are cutting prices. Intel reduced prices of its Pentium and Pentium Pro microprocessors by between 10 per cent and 30 per cent, effective immediately to maintain its 80 per cent hold on the PC microprocessor market and moving the Pentium Pro chip into the mainstream business market.

Dell cut prices on its OptiPlex computer line for corporate users by up to 21 percent and discounted some of its Latitude portables by 8 percent, saying it was passing on the reduced cost of certain computer parts.