[rescue] Happy New Year! RIP, Sun/Solaris...

[gsm at mendelson.com]

On Fri, Jan 07, 2011 at 09:35:23AM -0500, Patrick Finnegan wrote:

>Back before the likes of Newegg, and other large reliable online parts
>stores, I bought computer stuff from companies that mostly catered to
>businesses.

 From computer stores. They don't sell things at low prices. I once posted
a note to a local mailing list looking for a used motherboard or cheap
computer. Some of the answers I got were from people who sold to small
businesses. Their prices were 50% to 100% higher than the prices I could
get them for at computer stores. 

One included a $200 instalation and setup fee. 

When I worked for the University they had a deal with a computer store
which was heavily in favor of the local vendor. When I worked of the local
subsidiary of a US company, they had been doing business (before they were 
bought by the US company) with someone and continued to do it, until the
US company just started shipping computers in from the UK office.

The last company I actually worked for was a startup and the CEO's brother
in law was friends with a salesperson for the computer company we used. Their
prices were higher than the competition. However they never seemed to have
a problem finding whatever strange items we needed, so I guess you get what
you pay for.

To be honest if you want a computer with a legal copy of Windows, a decent
warranty and so it, it's cheaper for a home user or small business to buy an
HP or Packard Bell from Office Depot or a competitior. 

Buying a "custom" computer from a computer store comes out significantly
cheaper, about the cost of a licensed copy of Windows. 

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to misquote it.