Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!network.ucsd.edu!celit!dave
From: dave@fps.com (Dave Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Yet Another Upgrade Anecdote
Message-ID: <8424@celit.fps.com>
Date: 10 May 90 01:49:11 GMT
References: <1990May9.141422.15056@xavax.com>
Sender: daemon@fps.com
Reply-To: dave@fps.com (Dave Smith)
Organization: FPS Computing Inc., San Diego CA
Lines: 53

In article <1990May9.141422.15056@xavax.com> alvitar@xavax.com (Phillip Harbison) writes:
>***  Warning!  A megaflame about business ethics follows!     ***
>***  Those who put profits before ethics should hit 'n' now.  ***
>
>One thing I never plan to do is screw my customer.  I believe it is better
>to make a fair, honest profit on the original purchase than try to low-ball
>the price up front, then shaft the customer later.  My systems will allow
>the users to add standard memory (SIMMs), standard drives (SCSI or IPI),
>and standard bus peripherals (VME and NuBus).  If my customers buy add-on
>gear from someone else, then I either need to adjust my price or get out
>of that particular niche of the add-on business.  If I don't get any
>business because my up-front price is fair, then I will migrate to some
>other industry where a good business ethics are appreciated.

Well, it's the right attitude to have.  Unfortunately, there are some
other realities that rear their ugly heads.

We sell devices to our customers.  We mark them up.  Why do we mark them up?
Because system integration is _not_ easy.  Manufacturers' definitions of
SCSI vary.  Definitions of VME vary (though VME is spelled out in
such thorough detail it is a little tough to get it wrong.  Still, there
are always people who don't read it thoroughly, have a different interpretation
of what was meant or are just plain stupid).

We put the pieces together and charge money for it.  Are we evil?  I don't
think so.  We put a lot of work into it and when it comes down to putting
the system together, if it doesn't work, WE take the heat.  Not the
disk manufacturer, not the disk controller manufacturer, not the memory
chip maker.

We do implement the standards, though, and we don't put extra features
in our VME busses or use weird cables for SCSI.  If a customer is willing
to put the effort into adding a third-party disk drive, that's fine.
85% of the time, adding something like this will be smooth.  When it's
not, though, who ends up putting in the time to make the disk work properly?
Why, we do.  If the manufacturer decided to put the bad track table in
a strange place, who gets blamed?  We do (Why, it's a standard disk, why
doesn't it work in your system?).  

This, of course, is not to defend some rather heinous pratices, like DEC's
BI bus strategy.  However, to call a manufacturer terrible for reselling
devices at a mark-up ignores some of the reasons for it (it's also an
easy way to make some extra profit, too).  If the customer is given
the choice to buy the device and do the system integration themselves,
or to have the computer manufacturer do the system integration for them
and charge them for it, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Oh, and BTW, FPS has nothing to do with my postings.
--
David L. Smith
FPS Computing, San Diego
ucsd!celerity!dave or dave@fps.com
***QUOTE CENSORED BY ORDER OF REV. MOM***