ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com (Eric Mcgillicuddy) (05/22/91)
I just got back from a gray market store in the States, and LC 2/40 colour unit was selling for $2175. The price for a GS rom03 colour unit was $1975. This was a single 90mm drive and no hard drive. Their externals were a bit expensive, but to get the same configuration the GS would be $2675 with 40Meg HD, HS SCSI and Apple 1Meg memory card. Can you expect people to walk towards a GS with prices like this? Lif e is not getting any easier. UUCP: bkj386!pnet91!ericmcg INET: ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com
lhaider@pro-nbs.cts.com (Laer Haider) (05/24/91)
In-Reply-To: message from ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com >I just got back from a gray market store in the States, and LC 2/40 colour >unit was selling for $2175. The price for a GS rom03 colour unit was $1975. >This was a single 90mm drive and no hard drive. Their externals were a bit >expensive, but to get the same configuration the GS would be $2675 with 40MB >HD, HS SCSI and Apple 1Meg memory card. Can you expect people to walk towards >a GS with prices like this? Life is not getting any easier. > >UUCP: bkj386!pnet91!ericmcg Think about this: For $2675 I can get a I386/33 box with 4MB RAM, 120MB HD, Super VGA interface w/ 1024x768x256(color) monitor, 120MB tape backup, MS-DOS V4.01, Windows V3.0, Adobe Type Manager, a laser printer and other misc. software or hardware (2400 bps modem). Would *I* buy a IIgs for the same money if "I" were buying a new system? Not on your life. / _______________________________________________ \ / / ProLine: pro-nbs!lhaider \\\' , / // INET: lhaider@pro-nbs.cts.com \\\//, _/ //, UUCP: crash!pro-nbs!lhaider \_-//' / //<, ARPA: crash!pro-nbs!lhaider@nosc.mil \ /// <//` BITNET: lhaider%pro-nbs.cts.com@nosc.mil / >> \\\`__/_ /,)-^>>\` , \\\ The opinions express here are just opinions. (/ \\ /\\\ Don't have a cow man! // _//\\\\ ----------------------------------------------- ((` ((
ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com (Eric Mcgillicuddy) (05/26/91)
>Think about this: For $2675 I can get a I386/33 box with 4MB RAM, 120MB HD, >Super VGA interface w/ 1024x768x256(color) monitor, 120MB tape backup, >MS-DOS V4.01, Windows V3.0, Adobe Type Manager, a laser printer and other >misc. software or hardware (2400 bps modem). > >Would *I* buy a IIgs for the same money if "I" were buying a new system? >Not on your life. > > / _______________________________________________ > \ / / ProLine: pro-nbs!lhaider > \\\' , / // INET: lhaider@pro-nbs.cts.com No you can't. The cheapest "name" clone is twice that. Remember you are buying a "name" Apple II or Mac, so make identical comparisons. I am farily lucky in that Dell, Compaq, Epson, Commodore and a couple other major clone makers have offices nearby, however Bob and Joe's Computer clone maker that gives such a good deal today may be gone tommorrow, particularly since the recession is cutting sales while competition is cutting margins at the same time. That two year warranty may have no validity if the company folds. Apple dealers are available in most cities over 100,000 people and this should put them within driving distance of most owners. You know that no matter where you go ther will be a friendly Apple dealer waiting to sell you a Mac instead of fixing your Apple II.... err I mean, "empower you". But you get my drift. Buying a clone is a one time deal, few of the low-ball clone dealers offer support (I, and many others, don't require support, but many still do) and my experience is that once they have your money and the system is functional they don't go out of their way to see that you are happy. "Names" go out of their way to get a good reputation for customer satisfaction, but this costs money, sometimes it is worth it. UUCP: bkj386!pnet91!ericmcg INET: ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com
lhaider@pro-nbs.cts.com (Laer Haider) (05/28/91)
In-Reply-To: message from ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com >>Think about this: For $2675 I can get a I386/33 box with 4MB RAM, 120MB HD, >>Super VGA interface w/ 1024x768x256(color) monitor, 120MB tape backup, >>MS-DOS V4.01, Windows V3.0, Adobe Type Manager, a laser printer and other >>misc. software or hardware (2400 bps modem). > >No you can't. The cheapest "name" clone is twice that. Remember you are >buying a "name" Apple II or Mac, so make identical comparisons. I am farily >lucky in that Dell, Compaq, Epson, Commodore and a couple other major clone >makers have offices nearby, however Bob and Joe's Computer clone maker that >gives such a good deal today may be gone tommorrow, particularly since the >recession is cutting sales while competition is cutting margins at the same >time. That two year warranty may have no validity if the company folds. > >Apple dealers are available in most cities over 100,000 people and thisshould >put them within driving distance of most owners. You know that no matter >you go ther will be a friendly Apple dealer waiting to sell you a Mac instead >of fixing your Apple II.... err I mean, "empower you". But you get my drift. > >Buying a clone is a one time deal, few of the low-ball clone dealers offer >support (I, and many others, don't require support, but many still do) and my >experience is that once they have your money and the system is functionalthey >don't go out of their way to see that you are happy. "Names" go out of their >way to get a good reputation for customer satisfaction, but this costs money, >sometimes it is worth it. For those with more money than brains, yes it's worth it. When buying an MS-DOS clone, keep in mind that these clone makers are buying boards from reputable makers that sell to the mass market. It doesn't matter much if the guy putting the board together stays in business forever. Most do ok for many years though. The trick is to look for one that's been in busi- ness for a while (most of them have). If you're concerned about repairs, it's nice to have a machine just about anyone in the business can fix. With a clone you don't have proprietary parts and subsystems that only the manufacturer can fix. When you have a machine made by only one company and can be repaired only by it's author- ized shops, you are again going to pay through the nose (after it's measly 90 day or 1 year warrentee is out). And remember, warrentee's are only good through a very small part of a system's useful life. About buying "Names", I've always felt, and always will feel, that it's a crock of shit. Applied Engineering is a "Name" brand, try to get decent service from them. Apple is a "Name", take your computer to one of their "Authorized Service Centers" with a small problem (dead battery) and see what you're charged. I can take an Intel based motherboard to any of sev- eral dozen shops here in the San Diego area and get decent to outstanding service for a very reasonable price. There are good things to be said about Apple systems. It's just too small to compete toe to toe with IBM clones. There are currently about 70 million Intel based systems in the world. You can't tell me that support could be any better for any defined platform. Even within that world, support can be found for any system from another vendor or repair shop. You don't "have" to go to a single source. And you aren't stuck with paying premium price. As for comparing Apple to IBM or Compaq? Well, it seems all three are not doing too well in the micro- industry lately. Is price a major factor? You bet it is! You CAN have quality without price. You just have to hunt a little harder. / _______________________________________________ \ / / ProLine: pro-nbs!lhaider \\\' , / // INET: lhaider@pro-nbs.cts.com \\\//, _/ //, UUCP: crash!pro-nbs!lhaider \_-//' / //<, ARPA: crash!pro-nbs!lhaider@nosc.mil \ /// <//` BITNET: lhaider%pro-nbs.cts.com@nosc.mil / >> \\\`__/_ /,)-^>>\` , \\\ The opinions express here are just opinions. (/ \\ /\\\ Don't have a cow man! // _//\\\\ ----------------------------------------------- ((` ((
sb@pnet91.cts.com (Stephen Brown) (05/30/91)
ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com (Eric Mcgillicuddy) writes: > [cut] >Buying a clone is a one time deal, few of the low-ball clone dealers offer >support (I, and many others, don't require support, but many still do) and my >experience is that once they have your money and the system is functional they >don't go out of their way to see that you are happy. "Names" go out of their >way to get a good reputation for customer satisfaction, but this costs money, >sometimes it is worth it. > >UUCP: bkj386!pnet91!ericmcg >INET: ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com Buying a clone may be a "one time deal", but if you know what you're doing, (or you know someone who does) then what's the problem? Unless there are no hardware problems (that's what warranties are for), then you've got a cheap, powerful system. When it comes to "names" and "customer satisfaction", I REALLY don't know how you can talk. Apple Canada? Apple II? Customer Satisfaction? How about Apple Canada/Apple II/You're On Your Own And Don't Bug Us. Frankly, it's difficult to recommend an Apple product that I would want to use. :( +---------------------------------------------------------+ | Stephen Brown Toronto, Canada | | Internet: sb@pnet91.cts.com UUCP: utzoo!pnet91!sb | +---------------------------------------------------------+ | Apple II Forever !!! | +---------------------------------------------------------+ | Like my new .signature. ? Too bad. | +---------------------------------------------------------+