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From: rgc@wam.umd.edu (Ross Garrett Cutler)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: SUMMARY: Why the big price jump?
Message-ID: <1990Sep23.065958.1849@wam.umd.edu>
Date: 23 Sep 90 06:59:58 GMT
Sender: usenet@wam.umd.edu (USENET Posting)
Reply-To: rgc@wam.umd.edu (Ross Garrett Cutler)
Organization: University of Maryland at College Park
Lines: 34

Hello,
Thanks to the many responses I got on this one; it's helped clarify my
decision on which NeXT to buy...

It was pointed out that UM probably got a better deal on the 105 MB systems
than on the 340 MB systems (their prices: $3220, $4887, resp.).  In fact, this
is true: UM gives a 35.5% discount on the 105, but only 30.1% (still not bad)
on the 340.  Note that the list prices for these systems differ by $2000,
which to me seems a bit high.  My NeXT rep. says that you don't get
any additional docs with the 340 system (you just get the expanded edition
already installed).  Well, it seems to me that I could save $500 by going
with an external SCSI drive (they have some nice $1000 300 MB 5.25" ones
in MacWorld, plus $100 for a case/ps).  This would also give me a bit more
room (~65 MB).  Still, I would have to either buy the floppies for the
expanded edition or get them via Internet (is this possible?  I noticed
several people mentioned this route).  If it were any less that a $500
savings, I would probably just go with the internal drive.  But...

It was also mentioned that 3.5" 340 MB drives are pretty expensive compared
to the 5.25 ones you could mount externally.

And I was reminded that $4887 was still a great deal, esp. when compared
to a Mac.  True, but I'm still a poor student...:-)

Finally, a couple thought that NeXT was making more money on the extras
(which is probably somewhat true...).

If someone does find a nice SCSI drive out there for cheap, please post
it, as I'm sure going external is going to be a popular choice...Ross.
--
Please email -- I'll summarize.
Ross Cutler
University of Maryland, College Park
Internet: rgc@wam.umd.edu