motteler@umbc3.UMBC.EDU (Howard E. Motteler) (03/03/89)
Many thanks to the people who responded to my request for information about Var-Tech. Since I got some mail from others who were interested, I guess I'll post the info. Var-Tech's number is 312 810 1777; the guy handling the 7300's is Steve. The deal they are offering is a 7300, 1 meg/20 meg, for "about $650," with a 30 day warranty. They seem to put together a customer list, and then order (uncrate, whatever) a batch of 100-200 machines, and then sell them off. They took my name, phone no., etc., and put me on the list; they take your money when the machines are in. I'll post the firm price as soon as I hear from them. Steve said they set them up and test them for a day or so before they ship them, which is encouraging. Reports from other Var-Tech customers was mostly positive. There was one guy whose machine did a melt down; he got a replacement, but it took a while. (They don't always have machines in stock!) On a related note, I just got a price list from DDS (now Discovery Electronics), dated Feb. 6. (The prices seem about the same as I was quoted in a call, last week.) Some prices of interest: 62meg/1meg & Unix 3.51 $1,595 42meg/1meg & Unix 3.51 $1,295 20meg/.5meg & Unix 2.0 $649 10meg/.5meg & Unix 2.0 $495 1/2 meg memory board $175 2 meg memory board $1,095 2 port combo card with 0 meg $395 2 port combo card with .5 meg $549 7300 keyboard & mouse $30 2 monitors in a box $50 I just got the combo card with 0 meg; it comes socketed for easy addition of RAM. I also got an extra keyboard and 2 monitors. (Ok, well, I *like* the monitor...) AT $175 I've just got to order the 1/2 meg card; if I can't hack it to work on the bus with the combo card, maybe I'll just give it to alex 8^). They do have a $100 minimum order. They also have Hard Disk upgrades, and some interesting prices on fast modems. Their Unix utilities seem a bit...list, at $495, but with emacs, gcc, etc., floating around, you'd never miss them. I got my utilities from TRC, in CA (now called...something else), for around $350, but that was a year ago. Actually, I've had pretty good luck with vendors. I even squeezed a hardware manual out of Convergent, in their pre-UniCyst days, but that was wierd; it took 4 or 5 cycles of phone tag (but they *always* called back) before they shipped it out, COD, even! Note: I have no relationship with any of the above companies, except as a satisfied customer. Prices, etc., are posted because many people are interested in these things! From mvadh%cbnews%att@research.att.com Thu Feb 23 08:19:18 1989 Received: by att.ATT.COM (smail2.6 - att-cb) id AA15324; 23 Feb 89 07:46:55 EST (Thu) Received: by cbnews.ATT.COM (smail2.6) id AA27750; 23 Feb 89 07:46:30 EST (Thu) To: motteler@umbc3.UMBC.EDU Subject: Re: Var-Tec Newsgroups: comp.sys.att,unix-pc.general In-Reply-To: <1691@umbc3.UMBC.EDU> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Cc: Message-Id: <8902230746.AA27750@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 23 Feb 89 07:46:30 EST (Thu) From: mvadh@cbnews.ATT.COM (andrew.d.hay) Status: RO In article <1691@umbc3.UMBC.EDU> you write: "A month or so ago someone posted a message saying these guys were "selling 7300's, with a low price and a short warranty. " "Does anyone have their phone number? All I have is a UUCP "path that starts from some AT&T office... " "If anyone has delt with Var-Tec, or has any further info, I'd be "very interested. what's the path? i'm interested in what they might have, and maybe i can figure out how to massage the path for your use... -- Andrew Hay +------------------------------------------------------+ Apprentice Polymath | Yes, the wages of sin ARE death, but after they take | AT&T-BL Ward Hill MA | taxes out, it's kind of a tired feeling really | mvuxq.att.com!adh +------------------------------------------------------+ --- Andrew Hay +------------------------------------------------------+ Apprentice Polymath | Yes, the wages of sin ARE death, but after they take | AT&T-BL Ward Hill MA | taxes out, it's kind of a tired feeling really | mvuxq.att.com!adh +------------------------------------------------------+ From lgm%ihlpf%att@research.att.com Thu Feb 23 12:53:44 1989 Date: Thu, 23 Feb 08:49:28 1989 Received: by att.ATT.COM (smail2.6 - att-cb) id AA18446; 23 Feb 89 08:49:28 EST (Thu) To: att!umbc3.umbc.edu!motteler Subject: Re: Var-Tec In-Reply-To: your article <1691@umbc3.UMBC.EDU> Status: RO > Does anyone have their phone number? All I have is a UUCP > path that starts from some AT&T office... They're in Lisle, Illinois, in the 312 area code. Ask for their number from long distance information: (312) 555-1212. [I don't have a phone book with me.] > If anyone has delt with Var-Tec, or has any further info, I'd be > very interested. I bought my 3B1 Computer (2 MB of RAM, 67-MB hard disk) from Vartech. I haven't dealt with them since, because I have had no problems. They seem decent and straightforward. Lawrence G. Mayka AT&T Bell Laboratories lgm@ihlpf.att.com From fmcgee%cuuxb%cuuxf%att@research.att.com Fri Feb 24 13:53:46 1989 Date: Fri, 24 Feb 09:54:35 1989 Received: by att.ATT.COM (smail2.6 - att-ih) id AA15165; 24 Feb 89 09:54:35 CST (Fri) To: cuuxf!att!motteler Subject: Var Tec Content-Type: text Content-Length: 477 Status: R Don't know if it's the same place, but I know of a VAR known as Vartech that's located near here (Lisle, IL) which is outside Chicago. They may still have some 3b1's. Their number is (312) 810 - 1777. This shouldn't be considered as an endorsement, but I know of several people that have dealt with them on a few occasions with no problems. Also, I saw several ads for 3b1's in this months Unix World, but they were kind of pricey. Good Luck, Frank McGee attmail!fmcgee From uunet!swbatl!sw1a7!rcb Mon Feb 27 12:32:06 1989 Received: from swbatl.UUCP by uunet.UU.NET (5.61/1.14) with UUCP id AA05436; Mon, 27 Feb 89 11:06:20 -0500 Received: by swbatl.UUCP (5.51/smail2.5/09-28-88) id AA04428; Mon, 27 Feb 89 09:48:35 CST Date: Mon, 27 Feb 89 09:48:35 CST From: uunet!sw1a7!rcb Message-Id: <8902271548.AA04428@swbatl.UUCP> To: umbc3!motteler Subject: VarTech Status: R I purchased my AT&T 3B1 from VarTech in Aurora, Il. in July, 1987. It was sort of mail order, although I had no catalog. Another fellow at work heard that the had a good reputation in the Chicago area, so we phoned in our orders and they shipped to St. Louis. The fan in mine died after eight days and the case of the machine melted down. I was reluctant to accept repair on a machine that had experienced that kink of heat stress. I called them and explained the problem. They promised to take care of it, but they were temporarily out of stock. In September they finally said that they had received more and would ship immediately. Since the original took about five days to reach St. Louis, I waited and when the machine did not arrive, I called. This happened about four times, each with a slightly different excuse as to why they hadn't shipped. Then they said that I would have to have the original repaired. I let them know what I thought of that suggestion and their ethics. I did receive the replacement machine and they took the original one back, but it was painful. Also they originally shipped the 3.50 Foudation set and the 3.51 Development set. They promised me and another fellow here that they would correct that and send the 3.51 foundation as they should have. I never received the 3.51 and the other fellow didn't either. [1mRay Bretthauer[0m sw1a7!rcb -- Howard E. Motteler | Dept. of Computer Science motteler@umbc3.umbc.edu | UMBC, Catonsville, MD 21228
motteler@umbc3.UMBC.EDU (Howard E. Motteler) (03/03/89)
Sorry about including the email at the end of the preceeding posting; while it may have been relevant to the topic, I'd intended to *summarize* the letters. -- Howard E. Motteler | Dept. of Computer Science motteler@umbc3.umbc.edu | UMBC, Catonsville, MD 21228