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The Impact of Competition on Technology Adoption: An Apples-to-PCs Analysis

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  • Adam Copeland
  • Adam Hale Shapiro

    (Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Abstract

We study the effect of market structure on a firm's decision to adopt a new tech- nology in the personal computer industry. This industry is unusual because there exists two horizontally segmented retail markets with different degrees of competition: the IBM compatible (or \PC") platform and the Apple platform. We first document that relative to Apple, producers of PCs have more frequent technology adoption, shorter product cycles, and steeper price declines over the product cycle. We then develop a parsimonious vintage-capital model which matches prices and sales of PC and Apple products. The model predicts that competition is the key driver of the rate at which technology is adopted.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Copeland & Adam Hale Shapiro, 2010. "The Impact of Competition on Technology Adoption: An Apples-to-PCs Analysis," BEA Working Papers 0063, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
    • Handle: RePEc:bea:wpaper:0063
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Rui Castro & Gian Luca Clementi & Yoonsoo Lee, 2015. "Cross Sectoral Variation in the Volatility of Plant Level Idiosyncratic Shocks," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 1-29, March.
    3. Slivko, Olga, 2012. "Direct and indirect subsidies in markets with system goods in the presence of externalities. Preliminary version," Working Papers 2072/211631, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    4. Mykolas Simas Poškus & Lina Jovarauskaitė & Audra Balundė, 2021. "A Systematic Review of Drivers of Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Technology Adoption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-11, July.
    5. Adam Hale Shapiro & Ana Aizcorbe, 2010. "Implications of Consumer Heterogeneity on Price Measures for Technology Goods," BEA Working Papers 0062, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
    6. Sukanto Bhattacharya & Surjasama Lahiri & Munirul Nabin, 2021. "A novel technology adoption in an OLG framework: examining the cross-generational effects of promotional policies," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 1-17, April.

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    JEL classification:

    • E6 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook

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