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From: davidb@brac.inmos.co.uk (David Boreham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.transputer
Subject: Re: transputer prices
Message-ID: <16714@ganymede.inmos.co.uk>
Date: 19 Jun 91 08:16:21 GMT
References: <27919.9106171606@dcsun2.comp.brad.ac.uk>
Sender: news@inmos.co.uk
Reply-To: davidb@inmos.co.uk (David Boreham)
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Lines: 52

In article <27919.9106171606@dcsun2.comp.brad.ac.uk> res9004@computing.bradford.ac.uk ("R.A.Wilkinson") writes:
>Rumours persist of T400's costing $20.
>  But where's the source (of the cheap chips -not the rumours)?
>
>Rapid quote 55 pounds for T400's, 108 pounds for T425's and
>180 pounds for T800's  (all 20Mhz grid array).
>
>Where's the catch?

Catch is that you need to be buying a decent number of them.
The chip business is an arabian bazar (sp ?). Nobody expects
to pay the price first quoted. Distributors (Rapid) take a 
cut and so can never give you the $20 price (which is what 
we sell T400's for in volume). The price you quote is likely
to be the _highest_ price available for the device. 

Some suggestions for getting a better price--- 

 1. BS the local sales guy or FAE about future big orders.
    (doesn't work on the tele sales desk of course).

 2. Plead that you've only got so much budget and if only
    you had the parts for $xx then you would be doing
     amazing things.

 3. Mention to the sales rep other suppliers of transputers
    or even better other ways of implementing the design.
    Suggest that price is a problem.

 4. Convince the important people that your project is 
    either ``real'' or high-profile. Don't want to sound
    negative but in the business universities come low
    on the priorities for chip sales (good for dev systems)
    because they virtually _never_ buy any quantities.
    Good story is to talk about future commercial application
    of your particular design (not just the research), particularly
    in a high volume market like car navigation or the like.

Good luck. Personally I make a rule never to pay more than
           half the first price I'm quoted.

David.

P.S. Get the suckers in plastic. Although the T400 is priced identically
     in plastic and PGA, the cost price is radically different. The
     low PGA pricing is there because INMOS does not intend to 
     produce PGA T400 parts other than for samples. Plastic pricing 
     should be more fluid due to the lower cost base.
[20~
David Boreham, INMOS Limited | mail(uk): davidb@inmos.co.uk or ukc!inmos!davidb
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