Radio Shack Will Carry Compaq, Not IBM

Compaq Computer Corp., snubbing IBM for a second time this week, unveiled an exclusive deal with Radio Shack that replaces IBM’s Aptivas with Compaq’s Presarios in the nation’s largest electronics retailer. The deal comes just two days after Compaq agreed to buy Digital Equipment Corp. in a challenge to IBM as the dominant supplier of a range of computers, from desktop PCs to powerful business machines. IBM’s sales of PCs have lagged the industry recently because the firm didn’t offer a range of computers below $1,000, a consumer trend that began early last year. Meanwhile, Compaq, already the No. 1 seller of PCs, saw sales boom because it was one of the first major computer companies to sell sub-$1,000 PCs. Radio Shack, a Fort Worth-based unit of Tandy Corp., plans to start selling Compaqs at its 7,000 stores and dealers in March and will sell out the IBM Aptivas in the meantime. On the New York Stock Exchange, Compaq shares fell 25 cents to close at $29.75; Tandy shares rose $1.94 to $38.94 and IBM shares rose 50 cents to $97.