Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!sgi!shinobu!odin!odin.corp.sgi.com!portuesi From: portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops Subject: Re: Wanted: Hacks for the Toshiba T1000 or T1000SE Message-ID: Date: 29 Jun 90 13:09:01 GMT References: <896@limbo.Intuitive.Com> <118@travis.csd.harris.com> <138021@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <917@limbo.Intuitive.Com> Sender: news@odin.corp.sgi.com Reply-To: portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) Distribution: comp Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mtn. View, CA Lines: 47 In-reply-to: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com's message of 29 Jun 90 16:06:59 GMT >>>>> On 29 Jun 90 16:06:59 GMT, taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com (Dave Taylor) said: > There are also third party cards available for less; I had one company > quote me $595 for an undisclosed card, and Portable Land in Encino (LA) > quoted me $395 for the Apricorn 2MB card. Amusingly, when I called PL > back to get on their waiting list (they're waiting for the cards to come > in from the manufacturer) the sales person said they were $495. I pointed > out that a previous person ("Michael") had quoted $395 and they backed off, > indicating that they'd "have to go with that price then...". That is interesting. I bought my T1000XE from Portable Land about two months ago. They called me about a week and a half ago to tell me that they had just received a shipment of 2 MB cards, and since I had expressed interest when I ordered my machine, would I like to buy one? I distinctly did not remember inquiring about 2 MB memory cards, but after they quoted $395 I asked if they could reserve one for a short time while I made a decision. I suspect they just simply went through their past customer list and made up the part about "expressing interest" in order to try to generate sales. But heck, the price was pretty good, so I gave the offer serious thought. When I called them back to tell them I wanted to buy the card, they asked me, "What price did we quote you on the card?" to which I replied $395. If I had been dishonest, I could have given them a completely different price and they might have fallen for it. On the other hand, the price they quoted was so close to the (unknown to me at the time) dealer cost that if I had made up a price, they might have caught me! Also, when they were figuring shipping, they quoted me $10. After complaining that $10 was a bit expensive to ship a two ounce memory card halfway across the state via UPS, they cut it down to $8. They explained that they still had to charge for insurance and whatnot. Moral of the story is: These people will sell you product, and they seem reliable enough (both orders I placed with them were serviced extremely quickly), but they seem a bit shifty about price. The advantage to this is that you may be able to bargain with them if you are sufficiently crafty. --M -- __ \/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics, Inc. portuesi@sgi.com "man, this is weak."