ConsumerIT - For Europe's High Volume PC Retailers, Distributors & Builders

Webcams, headsets, software and notebooks-- the categories seeing the biggest increase in channel revenue across W. Europe, Context reports, as home working and schooling forces "major" changes in demand.

According to the analyst, the four weeks ending 22 March 2020 see the biggest Y-o-Y revenue increase for webcams (127%). Following are headsets and microphones (76%). Notebook also see strong 36% Y-o-Y growth in Q2 2020, with sales surging particularly in March across both business and consumer markets. Context says Y-o-Y growth during the first 3 weeks of March 2020 total nearly 56% for business notebooks, and 44% in consumer space.

HP announces a refresh of the Envy 17 premium laptop-- one featuring a 17.3-inch display with (optional) 4K UHD capability, together with a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor and up to Nvidia MX330 graphics.

The display claims an 86% screen-to-body ratio, but slimmer bezels make for a laptop smaller than the previous Envy 17 model. HP offers the 2020 Envy 17 in a number of storage configurations, including dual-storage with up to a 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, a 1TB 7200rpm SATA HDD and a 16GB PCIe NVMe Intel Optane drive and even up to a 1TB PCIe NVM TLC M.2 SSD.

Ceconomy, the parent company of Media Markt and Saturn, is in talks with the German state-owned KfW development bank for government aid, as the coronavirus (aka Covid-19) leads to store closures, Bloomberg reports.

According to the news story, the German retailer is looking for no less than €2 billion in financing. One potential scenario has KfW provide around 80% of the loans, with commercial banks providing the rest as part of a special program. Another source suggests Ceconomy may need to top only part of the credit line. Negotiations are reportedly still ongoing, and as such the structure and timing of the financial package are not finalised.

Taiwanese PC hardware maker InWin announces the C200, a mid-tower ATX PC chassis designed for content creators and creative professionals wanting a simple yet sturdy case with ample space for storage devices.

First seen back at CES 2020, the C200 lacks the frills typical of PC hardware aimed at the gaming market. It is built using strong SECC steel side panels, and features large thumbscrews for the easy removal of panels. In total, the case has space for up to six 3.5-inch HDDs (customers can convert the drive cages to SSDs) and two 2.5-inch SSDs, plus two 5.25-inch drive bays ideal for ODDs or up to three front-accessible hot-swappable HDDs.