A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found

in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological
function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of
sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing (fusion of sperm and eggs from different
individuals in a population) or allow selfing (fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower). Some
flowers produce diaspores without fertilization (parthenocarpy). Flowers contain sporangia and are
the site where gametophytesdevelop. Flowers give rise to fruit and seeds. Many flowers have
evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen.
In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and
used by humans to beautify their environment, and also as objects of romance, ritual, religion,
medicine and as a source of food.
Selling prices of personal computers steadily declined due to lower costs of production and manufacture, while the
capabilities of computers increased. In 1975, an Altair kit sold for only around US $400, but required customers to solder
components into circuit boards; peripherals required to interact with the system in alphanumeric form instead of blinking
lights would add another $2,000, and the resultant system was only of use to hobbyists. [44]
At their introduction in 1981, the US $1,795 price of the Osborne 1 and its competitor Kaypro was considered an attractive
price point; these systems had text-only displays and only floppy disks for storage. By 1982, Michael Dell observed that a
personal computer system selling at retail for about $3,000 US was made of components that cost the dealer about $600;
typical gross margin on a computer unit was around $1,000.[45] The total value of personal computer purchases in the US in
1983 was about $4 billion, comparable to total sales of pet food. By late 1998, the average selling price of personal
computer systems in the United States had dropped below $1,000. [46]
For Microsoft Windows systems, the average selling price (ASP) showed a decline in 2008/2009, possibly due to lowcost netbooks, drawing $569 for desktop computers and $689 for laptops at U.S. retail in August 2008. In 2009, ASP had
further fallen to $533 for desktops and to $602 for notebooks by January and to $540 and $560 in February.[47]According to
research firm NPD, the average selling price of all Windows portable PCs has fallen from $659 in October 2008 to $519 in
October 2009.[48]