Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!oddjob!gargoyle!ihnp4!alberta!auvax!rwa
From: rwa@auvax.UUCP (Ross Alexander)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: hidden features
Message-ID: <480@auvax.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jan 88 09:42:27 GMT
References: <268@stratix.UUCP> <4913@sol.ARPA> <9100@utzoo.UUCP> <2037@ttrdc.UUCP> <1602@brahma.cs.hw.ac.uk>
Organization: Athabasca U., Alberta, Canada
Lines: 26
Summary: yes, Honeywell did that too, and here's why...

> In article <9100@utzoo.UUCP>, henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes:
> Apparently, making one model of something is cheaper than making
> many models of something.  Then, simply charge extra for bringing these
> options to the surface.  

I was told (by to-me reliable sources) that the memories for the
HIS6050 installed at the MFCF @ the UofWaterloo were the special
killer 1-microsecond version (this was looong ago ;-) strapped down
to a slower speed to avoid paying duties at the border (declare it as
slow memory of lesser value & thus pay less tax); Honeywell's
expectation was that we (the MFCF) would pay for the upgrade from
slow to fast memory eventually, at which point they would come and
take out the slow-down strap, or whatever.  

This may all be completely apocryphal, so apply a dose of NaCl as
appropriate.

BTW, I also heard somewhere that IBM used to charge something
outrageous for a printer upgrade which involved shifting a belt from
a large pulley to a small pulley, thereby increasing speed of the
driven shaft.  Or maybe they actually replaced the pulley ;-).  See
previous paragraph.

--
Ross Alexander @ Athabasca University
alberta!auvax!rwa