Product Competition in Microprocessors
利用1971-1981年微处理器产品竞争的历史数据，评估空间与产品竞争理论中集聚经济概念的实证有效性，发现证据虽非结论性但支持该理论。
THERE HAVE been some striking recent developments in the theory of spatial and product competition, but relatively few empirical studies-see, however, Shaw [1982(a) and (b)]. This paper is an attempt to assess the empirical usefulness of these developments drawing on the history of product competition in microprocessors over the period 1971-81. In particular, our interest centres on attempts to introduce a role for what have been called agglomeration economies:1 that is, mutual external economies accruing to two or more producers selling similar products. In a recent survey, Graitson [1982] suggested that this particular development would provide theoretical models of special empirical relevance, and the evidence presented here, though by no means conclusive, tends to support that view. The paper is in five parts. Section I gives a brief review of some of the relevant developments in spatial and product competition theory. Section II gives a brief account of how the wide variety of microprocessors will be classified for the purposes of this study. Section III describes the history of developments in microprocessors over the period 1971 to 1981, and section IV assesses the theoretical developments in the light of this evidence. Finally, section V summarises the main points of the paper.