[comp.arch] Upgrades via zero-ohm resistor changes

peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (05/02/90)

> One company I worked for- a well known instrument and computer maker- 
> shipped two versions of an instrument. And an upgrade option. The upgrade
> was a plate with lots more holes in it, which revealed all the switches
> that had been hidden, and a set of key-caps. A very expensive set of 
> key-caps...

Ever looked inside a digital watch? Or any other consumer product
that comes in multiple models? The practice of just changing the
number of buttons for the "high end" version is quite common.

To get away with this you need a very inflexible demand curve, either
because you have a monopoly situation or because the price is low enough
that people just don't care. You certainly couldn't get away with having
an upgrade like this in a car %.
-- 
 _--_|\  `-_-' Peter da Silva. +1 713 274 5180.      <peter@ficc.uu.net>
/      \  'U`  Have you hugged your wolf today?  <peter@sugar.hackercorp.com>
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      v                    is acceptable.

% Now just watch someone prove me wrong!
-- 

limes@ouroborous.Berkeley.EDU (Greg Limes (Kernel Hacker)) (05/03/90)

In article <25135@metropolis.super.ORG>, rminnich@super.ORG (Ronald
G Minnich) writes:

> Anybody know if the recent Sparcstation 1+ is simply a
> crystal change (20 to 25 mhz)?

More to it than that; if we could've sold them at 25mhz on day
one, we would have. There are several chips that needed to be
faster before the 25mhz version could ship. There are also other
modifications in the new model.

(disclaimer: i am not part of entry products division, i work
on slightly larger boxes like the '300 series, so asking me for
details on the ss1+ will result in a simple "chat with your
local salescritter" so don't bother :-)

-- Greg Limes