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From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: OS cost component of workstation
Message-ID: <0093F728.4A874D00@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU>
Date: 9 Nov 90 13:49:59 GMT
References: <2840@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> <1990Nov6.222057.17797@ico.isc.com>	<2855@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>,<BZS.90Nov8173010@world.std.com>
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Reply-To: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney)
Organization: The U. of MD, CP, CAD lab
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In article <BZS.90Nov8173010@world.std.com>, bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) writes:
>
>You can buy a Sun3/50 these days for about $1200 max (under $1000 if

[cut comparison shopping guide]

>or about $3200 with the OS. If the OS is bundled then you can throw in
>a tape device (e.g. a used 60MB QIC-24 can probably be had for $500, I
>know new ones go for around $750.)

>An on-site service contract for my 3/60HM with 327MB disk, 60MB tape
>is about $135/mo. I suspect you could find depot service for under
>$100 from one of the third-party service orgs (you probably don't want
>service people coming into your bedroom anyhow.) 

Hum. $135/mon. * 12 months = $1620/year? Or a "mere" $1200/month for carry-in.
Effectively, you're paying the initial cost about $3200 + $1200 = $4400, plus
$1200+ each following year, unless you are getting a warranty for the used
thing (maybe 3 months?) 

Now, take the cheap-ix. Component parts = ~$3000. Should any single part break
after the first year (say, do the used things have warranties or are they sold
on the 'lots of luck' policy?), you pay some amount of money which is less than
$1200 (say the motherboard blows out and takes something with it, call the
price, oh around $1200) and replace it yourself. More than likely, it gives one
an excuse to upgrade because equilivant parts will either be A) Much cheaper
(cost of plunging PC boards and hard disk) and B) More capability for same
price (shift upward from 20Mhz to 25Mhz to ? clock speeds on chips).

Meanwhile, Mr. Sun, looking long in the tooth since the early 80s, has probably
blown a gizmo or two since you've had it, and your service contract increase
anywhere from 10-20% a year because it is A) Getting older, so your odds of
system failure for a major part are greater and B) Those Sun parts are getting
scarcer, because other people's workstations are starting to bust a gut. 

Bill's box is more sustainable over the long run, and will be easier & cheaper
to keep running.