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
cosc4fp@jetson.uh.edu (08/29/90)
In article <5918@uceng.UC.EDU>, juber@uceng.UC.EDU (james uber) writes: > 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. > Are these machines actually shipping? Our Sales rep doesn't expect one until the end of the year ... however a Japanese colleague is expecting one in Spetember.
schuh@demon.siemens.com (Christian Schuh) (08/30/90)
In article: <6844.26db6eb1@jetson.uh.edu> (cosc4fp@jetson.uh.edu) asks: [tons of stuff about the new boxes deleted] >Are these machines actually shipping? Our Sales rep doesn't expect one until >the end of the year ... however a Japanese colleague is expecting one in >Spetember. I ordered our first HP/Apollo 9000 Series 400 workstations in July, and our Salesrep promised (!) me, I'll have them around September 15. (Of course this is true only for the MC68030 50 MHz machines. The '040 upgrades are not ready yet...) Chris Schuh --- Siemens Corp. Research, Inc. schuh@siemens.siemens.com
mike@tuvie (Inst.f.Techn.Informatik) (08/30/90)
I have a question concerning the network adapters for the HP/Apollo
9000 Series 40: at the introduction of the new series, I got the
impression that you would get an ethernet controller by default, but
could add an Apollo Token Ring controller - _without_ forfeiting the
ethernet controller. This is what I gathered from the first price list also.
(The options for the ATR (AL #3 here in Austria) said "adds" not
"converts", as some other options did!)
Now we ordered one and the order says _or_ which sound like _XOR_.
Has anybody received clarification from the people who _really_ know
what this means (_ior_ vs. _xor_). Was the _ior_ just a machination
to make the HP 9000 Series 400 better to Apollo customers, or is it for real?
Any comments are welcome.....
bye,
mike
____ ____
/ / / / / Michael K. Gschwind mike@vlsivie.at
/ / / / / Technical University, Vienna mike@vlsivie.uucp
---/ Voice: (++43).1.58801 8144 e182202@awituw01.bitnet
/ Fax: (++43).1.569697
___/ced@apollo.HP.COM (Carl Davidson) (08/31/90)
From article <1781@tuvie>, by mike@tuvie (Inst.f.Techn.Informatik): > I have a question concerning the network adapters for the HP/Apollo > 9000 Series 40: at the introduction of the new series, I got the > impression that you would get an ethernet controller by default, but > could add an Apollo Token Ring controller - _without_ forfeiting the > ethernet controller. This is what I gathered from the first price list also. > (The options for the ATR (AL #3 here in Austria) said "adds" not > "converts", as some other options did!) > > Now we ordered one and the order says _or_ which sound like _XOR_. > Has anybody received clarification from the people who _really_ know > what this means (_ior_ vs. _xor_). Was the _ior_ just a machination > to make the HP 9000 Series 400 better to Apollo customers, or is it for real? > Mike, The Series 400 Ethernet controller is built-in on the system board. When you order a system with the ATR included, you end up with all the hardware and software necessary to run both controllers simultaneously. There is a new way of setting the primary network, however. instead of running CONFIG from the MD prompt, you execute a command called PNET, which sets the primary network. Read your owners manual when your system arrives for details. I've run my prototype machine on both ATR and Ethernet and both work quite well. Now if I could just get that '040 system board upgrade out of the project manager ... :-) :-) Enjoy your new machine. I certainly have! Regards, Carl Carl Davidson (508) 256-6600 x4361 | In the High and Far-Off Time, the The Apollo Systems Divison of | Elephant, Oh Best Beloved, had no The Hewlett-Packard Company | trunk. DOMAIN: ced@apollo.HP.COM | -- Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories
bradley@boulder.Colorado.EDU (James Bradley) (08/31/90)
In article <1781@tuvie> mike@tuvie (Inst.f.Techn.Informatik) writes: >I have a question concerning the network adapters for the HP/Apollo >9000 Series 40: at the introduction of the new series, I got the >impression that you would get an ethernet controller by default, but >could add an Apollo Token Ring controller - _without_ forfeiting the >ethernet controller. This is what I gathered from the first price list also. >(The options for the ATR (AL #3 here in Austria) said "adds" not >"converts", as some other options did!) > >Now we ordered one and the order says _or_ which sound like _XOR_. >Has anybody received clarification from the people who _really_ know >what this means (_ior_ vs. _xor_). Was the _ior_ just a machination >to make the HP 9000 Series 400 better to Apollo customers, or is it for real? I just placed my order for a 400t and a 400dl and had the same question. I talked to my local sales representative and he told me that we *can* get both interfaces without any additional charge! I got a quote from HP/Apollo that includes both interfaces for no extra charge - so it must be real :-) James Bradley bradley@harrier.den.mmc.com bradley@tramp.colorado.edu James Bradley BITNet: JBRADLEY@COLORADO.BITNET Internet: bradley@tramp.Colorado.EDU UUCP: ...!{hao|nbires}!boulder!tramp!bradley
rjn@hpfcso.HP.COM (Bob Niland) (08/31/90)
re: > ... you would get an ethernet controller by default, but could add an > Apollo Token Ring controller - _without_ forfeiting the ethernet > controller. This is what I gathered from the first price list also. > (The options for the ATR (AL #3 here in Austria) said "adds" not > "converts", as some other options did!) The IEEE 802.3 Thin/AUI interface is built-in. You can't get rid of it even if you don't want it. Options AL3 (ATR) and AL4 (ITR) provide an additional ISA card. AL3 and AL4 are .XOR. with respect to each other, but not to the 802.3. At one time there was some question about whether or not DOMAIN would support network I/O to both kinds of cards in the same machine. In such case, you couldn't use the 802.3 port in an AL3/4 machine. However, my understanding is that these issues are cleared up, and adding AL3 or AL4 automatically provides gateway capability. Regards, Hewlett-Packard Bob Niland 3404 East Harmony Road Internet: rjn@hpfcrjn.FC.HP.COM Fort Collins UUCP: [hplabs|hpu*!hpfcse]!hpfcrjn!rjn CO 80525-9599
wjw@eba.eb.ele.tue.nl (Willem Jan Withagen) (08/31/90)
In article <6844.26db6eb1@jetson.uh.edu> cosc4fp@jetson.uh.edu writes: >In article <5918@uceng.UC.EDU>, juber@uceng.UC.EDU (james uber) writes: FLAME ON: I've delete here the contents of a completely copied article!!!!!! that makes 62 line I've just read a few minutes ago. I know I'm in a bad mood but this is certainly one of the things you're not supposed to do on the net. Not only according to my standards, but also to that of the Net-etiquete FLAME OFF: >Are these machines actually shipping? Our Sales rep doesn't expect one until >the end of the year ... however a Japanese colleague is expecting one in >Spetember. Perhaps even I am a little out of line, since there is very very little flaming in this Newsgroups. Regards Willem Jan Eindhoven University of Technology DomainName: wjw@eb.ele.tue.nl Digital Systems Group, Room EH 10.10 BITNET: ELEBWJ@HEITUE5.BITNET P.O. 513 Tel: +31-40-473401 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
mike@tuvie (Inst.f.Techn.Informatik) (09/04/90)
I have some questions about HP/Apollo strategy, especially with non US of A university customers. In article <5918@uceng.UC.EDU> juber@uceng.UC.EDU (james uber) writes: >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. > >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. What does this software maintenance contract normally include. IN Austria, they claim, it's only telephone help. On updates, no patches, no anything. > >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. Gee, sounds great! But our sales rep claims this does not exist in Europe! Looks like they want us to be the full price for maintenance. Which would be more than $10000/year for 6 workstations !!!!! Does anybody have experience with these kind of programs? How is this in other European countries? Canada? Australia? Japan? I doubt that the local HPollo people here are malicious, but their incompetence is sickening at times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PS: After a good day's fight (actaully, it was two days, but this phrase sounds better :-), we will get the ATR controller. Our sales rep once again did not know.... Thanx to all the people who answered my posting. bye, mike ____ ____ / / / / / Michael K. Gschwind mike@vlsivie.at / / / / / Technical University, Vienna mike@vlsivie.uucp ---/ Voice: (++43).1.58801 8144 e182202@awituw01.bitnet / Fax: (++43).1.569697 ___/
jimr@maths.su.oz.au (Jim Richardson) (09/07/90)
In article <1792@tuvie>, Michael K. Gschwind (mike@vlsivie.at) writes: >I have some questions about HP/Apollo strategy, especially with >non US of A university customers. > >In article <5918@uceng.UC.EDU> juber@uceng.UC.EDU (james uber) writes: >... >>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. > >Gee, sounds great! But our sales rep claims this does not exist in Europe! >Looks like they want us to be the full price for maintenance. Which >would be more than $10000/year for 6 workstations !!!!! Does anybody >have experience with these kind of programs? How is this in other European >countries? Canada? Australia? Japan? HP Australia also could not confirm the existence of any such educational maintenance program. If anyone has any details, I would be very keen to hear them. On another matter: We had a meeting last week with several people from the Australasian HP support organization. The issues in the Netpower Open Letter were discussed. It is hoped that a formal response from HP to the Open Letter will appear by 1 October. -- Jim Richardson Department of Pure Mathematics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia Internet: jimr@maths.su.oz.au Phone: +61 2 692 2232 FAX: +61 2 692 4534