[comp.os.minix] Priced for the Masses?

kpt@icdoc.UUCP (02/24/87)

I have had my book for a few days now (excellent, easy to read, etc. etc.) and
I decided that I had better ask about the software.

It costs about 80 dollars, I believe, in the States and so I thought that it
should be 65 pounds or so here. NOT SO. Shock Horror! Upon 'phoning Prentice/
Hall I find that the cost here is 98 pounds 38 pence!!!

How do they justify this? Are the cost of tapes/disks that much higher here?
Did the exchange rate go haywire overnight? Am I being mean and stingy?

What is the cost in other countries?

Kevin
-- 

  Kevin Twidle 	         kevin@icdoc.uucp or kevin@uk.ac.ic.doc
  Dept of Computing	     ...!mcvax!ukc!icdoc!kevin
  Imperial College
  180 Queen's Gate      "It's not the cough that carries you off
  London SW7 2BZ         It's the coffin they carry you off in"

  +44 1 589 5111 x5068

kpt@icdoc.UUCP (02/24/87)

I have had my book for a few days now (excellent, easy to read, etc. etc.) and
I decided that I had better ask about the software.

It costs about 80 dollars, I believe, in the States and so I thought that it
should be 65 pounds or so here. NOT SO. Shock Horror! Upon 'phoning Prentice/
Hall I find that the cost here is 98 pounds 38 pence!!!

How do they justify this? Are the cost of tapes/disks that much higher here?
Did the exchange rate go haywire overnight? Am I being mean and stingy?

What is the cost in other countries?

Kevin

philip@axis.UUCP (02/25/87)

In article <411@ivax.doc.ic.ac.uk>, kpt@icdoc.UUCP writes:
> It costs about 80 dollars, I believe, in the States and so I thought that it
> should be 65 pounds or so here. NOT SO. Shock Horror! Upon 'phoning Prentice/
> Hall I find that the cost here is 98 pounds 38 pence!!!
> 
> How do they justify this? Are the cost of tapes/disks that much higher here?
> Did the exchange rate go haywire overnight? Am I being mean and stingy?

No, you are definately NOT being mean and stingy. This is just another
case of profiteering in England. I suggest that you bypass Prentice Hall UK,
get a cheque made out in dollars, or use your credit card, and order it
directly from the US.

Maybe this is a topic Andy would like to discuss with PH ?

I have ordered a copy (from the US), if it arrives with an invoivce for
other than 79 dollars I am going to be UPSET !

NOTE: I have had similar problems with PH before - I was once interested
in getting the sources advertised with "Software Tools in Pascal", PH
wanted some rediculous sum - when I 'phoned and queried it the reply was
something to the effect that they didn't keep stocks of such things, they
had to be imported from the US for each order etc ...
When I asked if they would give me the address of who to contact in the
US so that I could order it directly, and avoid their (exessive) handling
charges, they refused point blank, and said that if I wanted the tape
I had to order it through them. 

I was young and innocent in those days, and just gave up.

Philip

sa@m-net.UUCP (03/02/87)

> 
> It costs about 80 dollars, I believe, in the States and so I thought that it
> should be 65 pounds or so here. NOT SO. Shock Horror! Upon 'phoning Prentice/
> Hall I find that the cost here is 98 pounds 38 pence!!!
> 
> How do they justify this? Are the cost of tapes/disks that much higher here?
> Did the exchange rate go haywire overnight? Am I being mean and stingy?

well, why don't you order it from p.h. in the states,  and have them ship it
to the U.K?

The address on the card in the back of my book is:

Book Distribution Center
P.H. Inc
route 59 at Brook Hill  Dr.
West Nyack, New York  10995


640k pc 58387-2 $79.95
256k pc 58388-0 $79.95
     AT 58386-4 $79.95
9 track tape 58389-8 $79.95

-- 
 /*  Scott Almburg                     Interface Systems, Inc.     
 *                                     5855 Interface Drive
 * ...!ihnp4!itivax!m-net!sa           Ann Arbor, Michigan  48103
 */

ralph@brueer.UUCP (03/06/87)

In article <1023@m-net.UUCP> sa@m-net.UUCP (Scott A. Almburg) writes:
>well, why don't you order it from p.h. in the states,  and have them ship it
>to the U.K?
>
>The address on the card in the back of my book is:
>
>Book Distribution Center
>P.H. Inc
>route 59 at Brook Hill  Dr.
>West Nyack, New York  10995
>
>
>640k pc 58387-2 $79.95
>256k pc 58388-0 $79.95
>     AT 58386-4 $79.95
>9 track tape 58389-8 $79.95
>

Thanks for the address and the price list.  My copy of the book (UK, softback)
doesn't have the card, the price list, or even the address of Prentice-Hall...
In fact, the only addresses I found were for UniPress & Transmediair, to get
the compiler sources.

Now, I wonder why they'd leave out the card in the UK edition...

Ralph Mitchell
-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ralph Mitchell                 | VOICE: +44 895 74000 Ext 2561
Computer Centre                | ARPA:  ralph%ee.brunel.ac.uk@ucl-cs.arpa
Brunel University              | UUCP:  ...!mcvax!ukc!ee.brunel.ac.uk!ralph
Uxbridge                       | JANET: ralph@uk.ac.brunel.ee
UB8 3PH                        | 
UNITED KINGDOM                 |     "Noli illegitemi carborundum"
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

sa@crlt.UUCP (scott almburg) (03/08/87)

Summary:  ... why don't you order book from P.H. in the states?


> 
> It costs about 80 dollars, I believe, in the States and so I thought that it
> should be 65 pounds or so here. NOT SO. Shock Horror! Upon 'phoning Prentice/
> Hall I find that the cost here is 98 pounds 38 pence!!!
> 
> How do they justify this? Are the cost of tapes/disks that much higher here?
> Did the exchange rate go haywire overnight? Am I being mean and stingy?

well, why don't you order it from p.h. in the states,  and have them ship it
to the U.K?

The address on the card in the back of my book is:

Book Distribution Center
P.H. Inc
route 59 at Brook Hill  Dr.
West Nyack, New York  10995


640k pc 58387-2 $79.95
256k pc 58388-0 $79.95
     AT 58386-4 $79.95
9 track tape 58389-8 $79.95

-- 
 /*  Scott Almburg                     Interface Systems, Inc.     
 *                                     5855 Interface Drive
 * ...!ihnp4!itivax!crlt!sa           Ann Arbor, Michigan  48103
 */