Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!eagle!icdoc!cam-cl!
From: rbj@gov.nbs.icst.nav (Root Boy Jim)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Mfg's ripoff prices for disks (Cheaper winnies on an NCR tower)
Message-ID: <8807252028.AA10691@nav.icst.nbs.gov>
Date: 25 Jul 88 20:28:17 GMT
Sender: unix-wizards-request@uk.ac.ucl.cs.nss
Lines: 34
To: thirdi!peter@gov.nbs.icst.nav
Cc: unix-wizards@mil.brl.sem

? From: Peter Rowell <peter@thirdi.uucp>

? Sam: Did it occur to you that if he wants to put in his own damn drive
? that maybe he has the right to do that and would not expect NCR to
? guarantee it til the Second Coming of Christ?  If, in fact, he *did*
? expect NCR to guarantee it, just say that it, and any problems that
? exist *only* when it is plugged in, are *his* problems, and not yours.

Agreed. I have no problems with system vendors charging an extra markup
on the disks they sell as long as they take pains to make their systems
as universal as possible. For years people have ordered VAXen
with the minimum disk capacity from DEC, and plugged in Emulex, SI, and
anyone else's standard SMD controllers. We have done the same thing for
several Sun's around here. I see no difference with SCSI devices.
And a 140Mb SCSI is not all that big anymore.

Vendors often provide extra service, such as formatting the disk for their
particular geometry and scanning for bad blocks. This is a service that
some people desire, and is often useful to pay for.

But vendors should not depend on this income; I do not buy my
automobile tires and battery from Datsun (oops, Nissan), so why should
I have to buy my disks (or expansion memory) from DEC, Sun, IBM, or NCR?

? Peter Rowell				"You will need a bigger rock."
? Third Eye Software, Inc.		(415) 321-0967
? Menlo Park, CA  94025			...!pyramid!thirdi!peter

	(Root Boy) Jim Cottrell	<rbj@icst-cmr.arpa>
	National Bureau of Standards
	Flamer's Hotline: (301) 975-5688
	The opinions expressed are solely my own
	and do not reflect NBS policy or agreement
	Careful with that VAX Eugene!