juber@uceng.UC.EDU (james uber) (08/28/90)
Here are some simple tips for others, like me, who are thrust into the world of HP/Apollo workstation sales with little guidance or preparation. Some of these comments apply only to University purchases. 1. Technical data sheets are helpful, but you should also ask your sales rep to provide you with the model 400s and 400t configuration charts. These handy flow diagrams allow you to easily compute the list price of any workstation configuration, and to see clearly what your options are. If you are at a University, you can multiply the calculated list price by 0.62 to get the standard University discount price. Beware, however, that HP/Apollo sells various "bundled" platforms at a discount. For example, a monochrome 400t w/ 12Mb RAM and 200Mb disk lists at $11,490, but there is an equivalent bundle that lists for $10,240. 2. The procedure for obtaining the "free" Wingz, Mathematica, and Island Graphics software that are supposedly bundled with the HP/Apollo systems is ill-defined. Do not bother calling the companies, because the person you talk to will likely not know about this HP/Apollo promotion. Your sales rep may not know much about it either. As far as I can tell, this is what to do: a) tell your sales rep to include on the quote the necessary items that will give you the various software licenses. These licenses are supposedly like any other licenses, and entitle you to media, documentation, and support. The licenses will cost you about $150 each. If your sales rep does not know about this, then call Apollo Direct @ 800-225-5290 and, somehow, talk to Leanne Giberty (the spelling of her last name is based only on how it sounds). She is very nice, and will call your sales rep to fill him/her in. b) Once you have a verbal P.O. number for the order, call Apollo Direct and place an order for the software. The numbers you will need are: ISGR-1000AE-14925 (Island Graphics); INFX-1000AE-6990 (Wingz); WOLF-1001AE-140 (Mathematica). The software and the licenses will then supposedly be shipped together. On the subject of software, Interleaf now offers its full technical publishing software (TPS) R4 to Universities for a one time charge of $300 per *platform* for documentation and media. Call Nancy Fisher @ 617-577-9813 X4485 for an information package and order forms. 3. HP/Apollo offers all its compilers (all proprietary software?) to Universities at a 90% discount. I mention this to you because my sales rep did not know about it. 4. You can upgrade the 68030-based 400t and 400s to a 68040 chip for $2000 list. Your sales rep may want to sell you Domain 10.3 (10.2 is shipped with the 68030 machines) with the chip for an added $595 list. After querying my sales rep, however, he conceded that the updated operating system cost should be included in the 1 yr. software maintenance contract that comes with all new purchases. 5. If you, like me, want to be as little a system administrator as possible, then you may be interested in a $75 HP/Apollo option called "Instant Ignition." With this option, all your software will be loaded at the factory as per your specifications. Supposedly, you just hook up the cables, turn on the machine, and presto! - you are prompted for a login. 6. University purchasers should be aware of a new HP/Apollo software/hardware maintenance program that is supposedly being proposed for educational sites. The proposed program would, for something like $10,000/year, provide software and hardware support and maintenance for all HP products University-wide. The University would need to identify a central site for software distribution and board return, and would provide its own technicians (trained by HP/Apollo) to service the machines. This would likely be a bargain for many educational sites and, in my view, we should encourage this or a similar program from HP. Jim Uber Dept. of Civil & Environmental Eng. 741 Baldwin (ML 71) University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0071 juber@uceng.uc.edu