Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!mit-eddie!bbn.com!mips2!bubba!sje From: sje@bubba.ma30.bull.com (Steven J. Edwards) Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops Subject: Third Party Hardware Sources Message-ID: Date: 26 Feb 91 17:39:24 GMT Sender: @mips2.cr.bull.com Distribution: comp Organization: Bull HN, Worldwide Information Systems, Billerica, Mass., USA Lines: 28 I would be interested in hearing about others' experiences with third party hardware suppliers for portable computers. Specifically, I think there would be considerable interest among the portable user community for lists of reliable aftermarket suppliers for proprietary options and expansions. The idea is to be able to purchase a lower cost, sparingly outfitted machine and then use one's own expertise to install enhancements at considerable savings. At the moment, it seems that most such suppliers exist only for the widely distributed machines (Toshiba and Tandy) without much for the newer, more powerful units (like the new crop of 386 SX notebooks). The two big areas are memory add-ons and hard drive upgrades. For example, Zeos International charges US$649 for a 4 Meg RAM upgrade on its notebook machine (from 1 Meg to 5 Meg total), a price that is about four times the SIMM price for the same amount of memory. Notebooks also require 6.35 cm (2.5 inch) hard drives, most of which are only available in the 20 Meg size. When I checked some local computer shops, I was told that most 6.35 cm sales were restricted to OEMs. I have been unable to obtain firm pricing and availability information for larger capacity HDs. == Steven J. Edwards Bull HN Information Systems Inc. == == (508) 294-3484 300 Concord Road MS 820A == == sje@bubba.ma30.bull.com Billerica, MA 01821 USA == "That Government which Governs the Least, Governs Best." -- Thomas Jefferson Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com