I think the internet will ultimately help many smaller companies which would otherwise have been overlooked. Through the internet I have been able to research products I otherwise would not have been able to. It is also easier to obtain these products through online companies, many of which provide excellent service and prices. Also many people are able to upgrade to newer more expensive products by selling their older one on the net and recouping their losses. Personally if I were restricted to my local dealer I probably never would have been able to afford to upgrade my system as I have done. I know the value of customer service and I am willing to pay for it but many "brick and mortar" dealers have had it to good for to long. For instance my local dealer had a monopoly many products before the internet came about, likewise price is high and service is so-so. Some manufacters still support regional monoploies such as rotel and b&w, I realize this is done in an attempt to keep customer service high but unforunately this doesn't always pan out. I have found internet sources that go way above and beyond to make a long distance deal right. I still delat with my local dealer until recently when I brough a pair of cables to altered. This was last dec., I never heard from him until this past week when I called only to find out he lost the cables, most online companies I have dealt with would have handled this problem by now. Despite this I agree that a great local dealer is wonderful resource to have
mike
mike