Many smaller hardware suppliers showcase hardware -- including quite a few wireless modems for PCs or notebooks.

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Rival computer companies soon noticed that one of their main hardware suppliers was now competing against them as the Eee brand took off.

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As valuable as is the tinkering with thermodynamics and mechanics, the revolution that the hardware suppliers are complicit in enabling comes from the addition and full integration of microprocessors--making dumb hardware smart, and most importantly, adding the native ability to connect to communications networks via BlueTooth and Zigbee, LONworks, Ethernet and the Internet.

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The devices are expected to jumpstart sales of computer hardware companies and suppliers at a time when growth has been an industry-wide concern.

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Why would they not want the usual army of third party software suppliers on this new hardware?

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Under a system to be introduced later this year, media groups that want to continue to use their own hardware and software will have to order it from approved suppliers, and have it shipped directly to the department and installed by its own IT people.

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This is the specification that drive suppliers like Seagate and Western Digital meet to sell them to PC hardware OEMs like Dell and HP.

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Together these mounting vendor wars will drive incremental demand for component suppliers, but longer-term investors will need to identify those suppliers that are well positioned with those few companies that will be the ultimate hardware winners.

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