Electronics & Navigation

Consumer electronics include electronic equipment intended for everyday use. Consumer electronics are most often used in entertainment, communications and office productivity. more...

Home
ATV Parts
Apparel & Merchandise
Automotive Tools
Aviation Parts
Boats Parts
Accessories & Gear
Anchoring, Docking
Body Parts
Controls & Steering
Deck & Cabin Hardware
Electrical & Lighting
Electronics & Navigation
Antennas
Compasses
Fish Finders & Depth Finders
GPS & Chartplotters
Other Electronics &...
Radar & Autopilots
Radio & Communications
Exhaust
Ignition & Starting Systems
Intake & Fuel System
Interior, Cabin & Galley
Memorabilia
Motors/Engines & Components
Other Boat Parts
Plumbing & Ventilation
Propellers
Sailing Hardware & Gear
Car & Truck Parts
Car Audio, Video
Manuals & Literature
Motorcycle Parts
Other
Other Vehicle Parts
Personal Watercraft Parts
Racing Parts
Services & Installation
Snowmobile Parts
Vintage Car & Truck Parts
Wholesale Lots

Some products classed as consumer electronics include personal computers, telephones, audio equipment, televisions, calculators, and playback and recording of video media such as DVD or VHS. Popular brands of consumer electronics include a wide range of European, American, Korean and Japanese based companies including , Apple, LG, Philips, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, and others.

The CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) estimates 2007 Consumer Electronics sales at 150 billion dollars. CEA: Industry Statistics, <

Consumer electronics are manufactured throughout the world, although there is a particularly high concentration of manufacturing activity in the Far East, in particular China and Singapore, amongst other countries. The latest consumer electronics are previewed yearly at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, at which many industry pioneers speak including Bill Gates from Microsoft.

One overriding characteristic of all consumer electronic products is the trend of ever-falling prices. This is driven by gains in manufacturing efficiency and automation, coupled with improvements in semiconductor design. Semiconductor components benefit from Moore's Law, an observed principle which states that, for a given price, semiconductor functionality doubles every 18 months.

While consumer electronics continues in its trend of convergence; ie. DVD-Player and Free-View Box becomes a 'Media Centre' combining elements of many consumer electronic items. The consumer faces different decisions when purchasing their items. The variables becoming more about "Style & Price" rather than "Specification & Performance". This convergence of technologies promises a shrinking of choice of retailer to the consumer and the rise of Manufacturer status within the home.

Environment

Many consumer electronics have planned obsolescence, resulting in E-waste. It is estimated that during 2003 the US alone generated over 2.8 million tons of electronic waste. Less than 10% of that amount was recovered (reused or recycled).

Standby power used by consumer electronics and appliance while they are turned off accounts for 5 to 10% of household energy consumption, adding an estimated $3 billion to annual energy costs in the USA. "In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off."

Read more at Wikipedia.org