There are so many poor people in China, and they don't need a super-powerful system. As long as they can get something cheaper and still communicate, that's all that matters. Access to the Internet is the most important thing.

I think they're clarifying their focus in certain areas. I don't think it's a big deal, but if it helps them focus better on certain areas it's certainly a good thing.

Companies have to invest in research and development, lest their competitors pass them by. And they have to spend money in sales and marketing to make sure their products are getting their due in terms of promotion. Right now, the environment is so competitive that it's impossible to shift the increase in costs to the consumer, and companies are getting their margins squeezed.

They're trying to diversify their bets. They don't know who will be the leader in this space, and they want to have a presence with whoever has the potential to be the leader.

It's really tough to say how that will pan out. [Set-top devices] could be one of the major avenues of getting on the Internet. For the masses who don't deal with computers on a regular basis, they'll feel more comfortable with using a TV for access.

Up until a week ago, companies had been running on expectations over fourth-quarter earnings. I don't think people are expecting anything bad. But more recently, it got to the point where these stocks ran up so much that a little profit taking ensued.

It's definitely the next big boom, if it's not already, for the PC market. If you talk to Intel, they say China is their third largest market behind the U.S. and Japan. It passed Germany recently. And with PCs getting cheaper, that will be good for Internet companies.

It will take five to 10 years for China to become a major force. We're still talking relatively small numbers. I can easily see 100-percent growth in the next couple of years.

Right now we have 45-percent PC penetration in the U.S.. It will be years before we see that in China. There's no need for the Internet right now. They have plenty of other problems.