Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!spdcc!kaos!romkey
From: romkey@kaos.UUCP (John Romkey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: What's a good price on an IBM Clone?
Message-ID: <374@kaos.UUCP>
Date: 29 Dec 87 07:59:13 GMT
References: <2645@cbdkc1.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: romkey@kaos.UUCP (John Romkey)
Organization: Chaos; Somerville, MA
Lines: 35
Keywords: Clone, inexperienced buyer

In article <2645@cbdkc1.ATT.COM> czei@cbdkc1.UUCP writes:
> Anyway, he's looking at an XT clone from a local
>dealer for about ~$2500.  Sure, it includes a hard disk, modem, and
>a monitor, but that doesn't seem like a great deal to me.

You're right, it's not.

Most of my mail order experience is with SF Micro of San Francisco. They're
pretty reliable, they give good service and they sell good equipment for not
lots of $$$$. They sell a line of AT clones made by Everex that a lot of
mail order houses sell. FTP Software has about 8 or 10 or maybe more, I've lost
count, of these things. We haven't had problems very often and when we have,
SF Micro has been pretty good about getting it fixed (once or twice they've
been a little pokey, but usually they're quite responsive).

They sell a PC/AT clone with .5MB of RAM, 1.2MB floppy disk and monochrome
monitor for roughly $1000. Add a 40MB hard disk for about $400. Add an internal
2400 baud modem for about $300. The basic computer will be a lot faster
than the XT you mentioned, too.

They also have quite a variety of display cards, monitors, hard disks, memory
boards, etc., so you can put together a more interesting system than the one
above if you want.

Unfortunately, I don't have their number here at home. I'll try to find it
tomorrow and post it.

Disclaimer: this is not an endorsement of SF Micro by *FTP Software* (though
I personally think they're pretty good), and I have no association with
SF Micro other than as a happy customer.
-- 
			- john romkey
		...harvard!spdcc!kaos!romkey
		       romkey@kaos.uucp
		    romkey@xx.lcs.mit.edu