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From: bass@dmsd.UUCP (John Bass)
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.micro.apple,net.flame
Subject: Re: Apple Shafts America; or, The Computer For the Rich of Us
Message-ID: <142@dmsd.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 23-Sep-84 08:54:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: dmsd.142
Posted: Sun Sep 23 08:54:47 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 05:44:03 EDT
References: <1267@unm-cvax.UUCP>
Lines: 37

I am not associated with Apple, but the childish flaming at Apple for
charging a FAIR price for the FAT MAC requires a defense.

TESTED 64k DRAMs are under $3.50 each in volume ... TESTED 256k DRAMS are
still floating around or above $30.00 each and the price market COULD easily
suffer the increases caused by heavy demand as people switch from 64 to 256
parts .... just as the prices on 64k parts soared in 1981 as people switched
from 16k parts.

simple math is 18*$30 = $540. Dealers discounts are typically %40 off list
so an expected dealer can recieve the upgrade at about $999*0.6 = $600.

The remaining $60 plus or minus $50 is not enough to cover the paper work
and testing/restocking of old digital boards ... which CAN NOT be simply stuffed
into a new machine (used parts in new equip is against the law I understand).
Apple is going to end up with a lifetime supply of spares on the 128k mac
boards.

In realistic terms Apple is probably EATing $300-500 dollars by offering
the upgrade at near componet costs ... and may eat a lot more if the
price on 256k parts soars back above $40.00 a part.

The upgrade price is the nearest thing to a free lunch I have seen ... in
an industry where multiples of x2.5 to x3.5 are min list prices above
costs .... thus a fair price for the upgrade today would be above
$30 * 18 * 3 = $1,620.00 plus installation labor and a restocking charge
(and testing) for the old board ... a real value of closer to $2,000 even.

Apple is both VERY kind to its installed base ... and praying that the
prices of the rams drop before it looses it's shirt on both the upgrade
and the NEW price for the 512k MAC.

Go try to by 256k parts on the salvage/hobby market ... about $50 a chip
including tax/shipping is common for untested parts. 18 * $50 = $900 ...
take a batch of those and do your own upgrade ... hope it works ...

John Bass