Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!mcnc!decvax!mandrill!neoucom!wtm
From: wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Telebit TrailBlazer Warranty Information
Message-ID: <1161@neoucom.UUCP>
Date: 9 May 88 01:34:55 GMT
References: <282@telebit.UUCP> <3725@cbmvax.UUCP>
Sender: wfd@neoucom.UUCP
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Lines: 32
Keywords: Standard and Extended Warranty pricing and information
Summary: I agree with George; $225 seems like a lot.


I agree with George that $225 is kind of pricey for the Trailblazer
extended warranty.  I think I'll just hedge my bet that the thing
keeps working indefinitely, and then ante up the money if/when it
breaks.  It is my understanding, as George said, that the warranty
coverage costs the same regardless of when you buy it.  In that
case, the way to go is to buy the warranty when the modem gags,
then send the beast in.

There really isn't much to go wrong in the trailblazer.  About the
only item subject to mechanical stress is the line realy, but that
ought to last years.  Even the "standard" Trailblazers with the fan
are pretty rugged.  As a torture test I disconnected the fan for
several hours and put the cover back on; the modem got only a
little warm.  Naturally, I don't advocate disconnecting the fan as
a matter of routine!  Closed up in a confined space may make the
fan an imparitive; I conducted the torture test with the modem on a
bench top.

Now, if the service contract included a clause to ensure that the
most current firmware were installed....  I just might bite.

By the way... Several people have mentioned that the level 3 -->
level 4 firmware upgrade seems expensive.  It really isn't all that
bad.  I just had to buy some 27512 EPROMs (same type as used in the
Trailblazer).  The best price I got was $10 each.  That means, that
$20 of the upgrade is parts!  Given that, the price seems in line,
as it is about the same cost as going from DOS 3.2 --> DOS 3.3 on
an IBM PC.

--Bill
  wtm@neoucom.UUCP