Company-created info sites deliver blow to print media

COMPANY-CREATED INFO SITES DELIVER BLOW TO PRINT MEDIA
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Mike Feibus]
If you haven't seen PC.com, you should check it out. It is a well-designed, easy-to-navigate new Web site that cuts through all the techno-speak that can make purchasing a PC so intimidating. Neophytes and casual computer users will find the slick video tutorials and other powerful, easy-to-use decision-making tools helpful. But PC.com is more than just a well-presented Internet information service. It is a harbinger that will send a chill through the publishing world. Here's the rub: PC.com is designed, built, funded, sourced and hosted by Intel Corp., the world's largest and most powerful chipmaker. Put another way, Intel is taking a portion of its nine-figure marketing budget - dollars that otherwise would be spent on ads in this and other media - and delivering editorial content directly to the public. That stings the media on two fronts: lost income and lost readers.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/opinion/ci_8635236?nclick_check=1