[rescue] Some days ....

[Dave McGuire]

On Sunday, June 8, 2003, at 04:12 PM, Curtis H. Wilbar Jr. wrote:
> Even the processor ???  I don't think the 8086/8088 was that old when
> IBM adopted it for the PC, so I fail to see how the processor could 
> have
> only been a few $.  Other than the processor, most components on there
> were probably pretty cheap.... especially in IBM's quantity purchase of
> parts.

   Sorry, even the processor.  Jameco Electronics' price on the 8088 was 
$39.95 in January of 1983 (that's the most relevant data point I could 
come up with on short notice)...That company isn't known for low chip 
prices, and that's quantity 1.  Places like JDR Microdevices had them 
for about $30, going down to $20 in qty. 25.

   I wasn't speculating...I've *bought* the blasted things.

   Companies like IBM get special discounts even beyond sheer quantity.  
I'd guess they probably paid $6-7/ea for 8088s...though that *is* 
speculation.

         -Dave

--
Dave McGuire             "I've grown hair again, just
St. Petersburg, FL           for the occasion."       -Doc Shipley