I suppose we all hate those large corporations .

Today my Internet connection kept cutting out so I called AT&T this
(early) evening.


Within two hours they were out and replaced the modem

no charge


Credit where due

not too much to complain about here

On 10/24/2015 5:30 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose we all hate those large corporations .

I don't think size is the issue. I think its more related to how
*callous* they are towards their customers (assuming ourselves to
*be* those customers).

Today my Internet connection kept cutting out so I called AT&T this (early)
evening.

Within two hours they were out and replaced the modem
no charge

Credit where due

not too much to complain about here

Purchased a new bed (mattress/box spring). The "cover" (which is essentially
an integral part of the mattress) was soiled when the delivery monkeys
dropped it in the street.

[Guys, the mattress comes packed IN A BOX for a reason. Why not carry
the boxed mattress *to* the door so there is less risk of the plastic
bag that acts as an inner layer of protection FAILING (tearing) and
exposing the mattress to the dirt in the street, yard, etc.?]

Complained to the store the next morning. They were sympathetic;
immediately stated we shouldn't have to accept a soiled mattress
(nor should we have to remove the cover, wash it and reattach it;
we purchased a NEW mattress and should expect a new one!).

Said they would replace it (the mattress) claiming that they
can't replace JUST the (removable) cover.

OK, fine. If you want to send out a whole new mattress and
incur those costs, so be it. "But, let's keep THIS mattress
in the box until it gets to the front door! It's been
raining, lately..."

Replacement shows up and its not even boxed *on* the truck!
Hmmm... sure looks like someone is trying to slip us a "used"
mattress! And, cover on this "new" one is actually *torn*.
"Sorry, guys... take it back!"

Call manufacturer to complain about the treatment from this
"dealership".

Next day, replacement *cover* is in the post. "Put the
defective cover in the box that the replacement arrives
in, attach this label and call UPS for a pickup. We're
sorry for the inconvenience and hope you enjoy your
new mattress..."

So, its not the size of the firm (the "dealership" is a
national chain; the manufacturer is a nationally known brand)
but, rather, the specifics of your relationships with each.

On 10/25/2015 03:10 AM, Don Y wrote:
X
Next day, replacement *cover* is in the post. "Put the
defective cover in the box that the replacement arrives
in, attach this label and call UPS for a pickup. We're
sorry for the inconvenience and hope you enjoy your
new mattress..."

So, its not the size of the firm (the "dealership" is a
national chain; the manufacturer is a nationally known brand)
but, rather, the specifics of your relationships with each.



You are right.


I once made the mistake of taking my bicycle to a repair shop even
though I could have fixed it myself.

Lazy I guess.


It fell apart on the way home so I had to walk it for several miles...
then do the right thing and fix it myself.


Called the owner to complain and all she said was,

"Aw isn't that too bad."


Very glad when they went out of business within the next year or so.

On 10/25/2015 3:18 AM, philo wrote:

So, its not the size of the firm (the "dealership" is a
national chain; the manufacturer is a nationally known brand)
but, rather, the specifics of your relationships with each.

You are right.

I once made the mistake of taking my bicycle to a repair shop even though I
could have fixed it myself.
Lazy I guess.

It fell apart on the way home so I had to walk it for several miles...
then do the right thing and fix it myself.

Called the owner to complain and all she said was,
"Aw isn't that too bad."

Very glad when they went out of business within the next year or so.

I haven't been able to come to a conclusion as to which *sorts* of
businesses "should" be more concerned with their "image", in this
regard.

On the one hand, you can argue that small, locally owned businesses should
place a higher premium on their image as they tend to be *individuals*
known in the community -- not wanting their PERSONAL images tarnished
by the perceptions others form of their businesses.

OTOH, they can "fold up shop" and move to another town/city... or,
just reopen under a new name and start over. Very little "invested"
in their "business image".

Or, you can argue that large, national entities run the risk of
a "bad rep" becoming a widespread assessment of their organization
and then they have "no place to hide".

In our "mattress" case, we had two opportunities to seek a remedy;
with the retailer or with the manufacturer. So, thankfully, when
one fell flat, the other picked up the ball.

[I suspect there is actually a third entity involved: the firm that
the local retailer contracts with for *deliveries* -- the true
culprit in our scenario! The local retailer *may* get smart and
find another firm to provide this service. Or, may just want to
bottom feed...]

On Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 6:18:39 AM UTC-4, philo wrote:
On 10/25/2015 03:10 AM, Don Y wrote:
X
Next day, replacement *cover* is in the post. "Put the
defective cover in the box that the replacement arrives
in, attach this label and call UPS for a pickup. We're
sorry for the inconvenience and hope you enjoy your
new mattress..."

So, its not the size of the firm (the "dealership" is a
national chain; the manufacturer is a nationally known brand)
but, rather, the specifics of your relationships with each.



You are right.


I once made the mistake of taking my bicycle to a repair shop even
though I could have fixed it myself.

Lazy I guess.


It fell apart on the way home so I had to walk it for several miles...
then do the right thing and fix it myself.


Called the owner to complain and all she said was,

"Aw isn't that too bad."


Very glad when they went out of business within the next year or so.

In some cases management is dumb enough to totally **** off customers
when it's very easy to do the right thing. My favorite example was
Mother's Day weekend last spring. A bar/restaurant that we visit
every couple months sent us an email about their promotion. They had
a buy one brunch, get the second free deal for Sat and Sun. This
place is part of a small chain, maybe 25 total. We happened to be
near the restaurant that Sat and I remembered the offer. To make sure
it was for both days, etc, I pulled up their website on my phone.
The offer is right on the homepage, says it's for both days, at the
end it says "Make your reservtions now". Now, IDK how you would interpret
that, but usually, if reservations are *required*, it would say that.
I assumed it just meant that you should make one if you want guaranteed
seating.

so, we drive over and it's Sat, like 2 PM, the place is mostly empty.
We get a table, they bring over menus, and there is no mention or sign
of the offer, what you can choose, etc. So, I ask the waitress. She says,
"oh, that's only for tomorrow, Sunday". I tell her that's not what the
offer says. She says she'll go check. She comes back 5 mins later and
says that it is for both days, but you need a reservation. I tell her
that it doesn't say a reservation is required on the website. So, I tell
her in that case, we're leaving. She says "sorry". At the main entrance,
as we're leaving, I spot the manager. I go over to him and tell him what
just happened, and he just says "bye".....

So, now I'm fuming. We had one more stop nearby to pick something up,
so, I figured out I can play their game. I call up, make a reservation
for 20 mins later. We do our stop, go back, get seated, making sure to
tell the hostess that we have a reservation. The same experience starts
all over again. Different waitress, no mention or sign of the brunch deal.
Ask, her and tell her we have a reservation, she says that she doesn't
know about it, etc. So, she has to go check. She comes back and finally
tells us how it works, etc.

So, here you had a really dumb manager that would rather **** off regular
customers than give them the promo that the restaurant had invited us too.
Even if their intent was that you had to make a reservation, with the place
mostly empty and us standing there, would it have been so terrible to just
say, "No problem Sir, we're happy to have you?". When we were done eating
I was keeping an eye on the manager, because I wanted to tell him on the
way out that I hoped he was happy now, treating us that way, etc. But he
had disappeared into the kitchen. When I got home I
went to the corporate website, filled out a complaint. I told them how
their manager had totally alienated two customers that were regulars,
when the correct solution was simple. I told him that IMO, it was shocking
that guy was even in the hospitality business, let alone a manager. Within
two days
I had an email from the GM at the local restaurant, apologizing and admitting
that it was all their mistake, the crew had not been properly trained, etc.
He offered to send some gift certificates, which he did and a few days
later I had two $10 gift cards good for 6 months. Just used the last one
a week ago. Which is a funny thing. After the incident, I was OK with
them again, but still didn't go back for almost 6 months. Not on purpose
really, it's almost like a subconscious thing, they were off my radar.
Which shows you the damage some dope can do. Those two recent visits,
no sign of the idiot manager either.

On 10/25/2015 07:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:


snip
itality business, let alone a manager. Within
two days
I had an email from the GM at the local restaurant, apologizing and admitting
that it was all their mistake, the crew had not been properly trained, etc.
He offered to send some gift certificates, which he did and a few days
later I had two $10 gift cards good for 6 months. Just used the last one
a week ago. Which is a funny thing. After the incident, I was OK with
them again, but still didn't go back for almost 6 months. Not on purpose
really, it's almost like a subconscious thing, they were off my radar.
Which shows you the damage some dope can do. Those two recent visits,
no sign of the idiot manager either.



Fortunately I've only had one bad restaurant experience where they did
not honor some published special.


Rather than let it ruin my day by arguing with them, I went home and
posted a bad review on Yelp.

On Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 9:18:45 AM UTC-4, philo wrote:
On 10/25/2015 07:04 AM, trader_4 wrote:


snip
itality business, let alone a manager. Within
two days
I had an email from the GM at the local restaurant, apologizing and admitting
that it was all their mistake, the crew had not been properly trained, etc.
He offered to send some gift certificates, which he did and a few days
later I had two $10 gift cards good for 6 months. Just used the last one
a week ago. Which is a funny thing. After the incident, I was OK with
them again, but still didn't go back for almost 6 months. Not on purpose
really, it's almost like a subconscious thing, they were off my radar.
Which shows you the damage some dope can do. Those two recent visits,
no sign of the idiot manager either.



Fortunately I've only had one bad restaurant experience where they did
not honor some published special.


Rather than let it ruin my day by arguing with them, I went home and
posted a bad review on Yelp.

In my complaint, I mentioned that I had always had excellent experiences
in the past and that I had posted good reviews online. I figured they
could take the hint. And if I hadn't gotten satisfaction from the complaint,
I would have posted negative reviews, citing the experience. It's interesting
that a rare few establishments actually respond to negative reviews online
tell their side, apologize, etc. Most there is nothing, you don't even
know if they read them, give a damn, etc. Lots of reasons why so many
restaurants fail and you can see some of them from the reviews, lack of
response, etc.

On 10/25/2015 4:10 AM, Don Y wrote:

So, its not the size of the firm (the "dealership" is a
national chain; the manufacturer is a nationally known brand)
but, rather, the specifics of your relationships with each.

Recently had a good experience with Samsung. According to the printed
warranty, it ran out a month before a problem occurred. I went on line
and they have a chat thing so I asked about the phone. They asked for
the serial number and said it was covered. They emailed a prepaid UPS
label for 2nd day air. Gave me updates as it progressed in their system
and six days later had the phone back

They are set up for good customer service and they seem to really want
satisfied customers.

On 10/25/2015 7:02 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 10/25/2015 4:10 AM, Don Y wrote:

So, its not the size of the firm (the "dealership" is a
national chain; the manufacturer is a nationally known brand)
but, rather, the specifics of your relationships with each.

Recently had a good experience with Samsung. According to the printed
warranty, it ran out a month before a problem occurred. I went on line and they
have a chat thing so I asked about the phone. They asked for the serial number
and said it was covered. They emailed a prepaid UPS label for 2nd day air.
Gave me updates as it progressed in their system and six days later had the
phone back

They are set up for good customer service and they seem to really want
satisfied customers.

We had a not-so-great experience with them -- but, large appliance
(where they probably don't have to be as competitive/friendly as
they do in profitable cell phone market!).

FL Washer door lock/latch failed ~18 months of LIGHT use (there's
just the two of us here and I *live* in jeans & a T-shirt!). In
fact, the machine tracks the number of wash cycles so I can tell
it's run an average of roughly TWO per week.

The original part -- in a role that sees LOTS of mechanical abuse
(you are pushing the door *into* it each time you open/close door)
was made out of flimsy plastic; the two "snap-together" halves of
the assembly simply falling "apart" from each other as the "snaps"
failed (because they were in-line with the stressed applied
instead of at right angles to those stresses!). The part on
the door that mates with this PLASTIC assembly is *cast* -- I
guess they figured *it* would see lots of abuse but it's
MATE wouldn't?

[Note the spring that governs the assembly is stiff enough that
manipulating it outside of the assembly requires a fair bit of
force! Yet, the assembly was intended to constrain this]

Out of warranty so I went looking for a replacement part to install myself.
Ah, Samsung service shows two parts as replacements for the broken one
in my hand! One having the exact same part number; the other, a
different number. "Perhaps the different number is an upgraded
assembly? Sure as hell don't want another flimsy plastic part
*if* there's a better replacement. OTOH, don't want to order a
part and discover it has some other incompatibility (that isn't
explained in the trivial "parts list" on-line.

OK, take advantage of on-line chat. Maybe they have access to
more information than I do!

Ha! Nope. Just repeating what the web page is already telling me.
Can't explain the differences between part numbers 23423542 and 42423424.
So, the chat has simply been a waste of time (I guess it's there for
people who can't read?)

After *forcing* the on-line chat person to escalate the issue, (kept
wanting to repeat the two part numbers that I could *see* myself!)
they agreed to send out a local repairman (which was more than
I was asking for -- I just wanted a DEFINITIVE statement as to
which of the listed parts was the *correct* part for me to ORDER)

OK, fine.

Local kid shows up, very polite, prompt, etc. Turns out there
are *7* versions (revisions?) of this particular model. So, any
guess I made was likely to be just that -- a guess.

He looks at defective part and sees how it has failed completely.
But, the replacement appears to be identical -- plastic hasn't
been beefed up in the areas where the snap-together tabs failed;
hasn't been redesigned to snap together left-to-right instead
of front-to-back; hasn't been cast out of metal or even formed
sheet metal. I.e., start the clock; expect another 18 months before
it fails...

Mentioned this to the librarian who had initially recommended the
unit (washer and dryer). Her reply: "Oh, we've already replaced
*both* the washer and dryer (due to failures)". Wunnerful.

So, my opinion of Samsung? "A" for their handling of the event
AFTER I had escalated it. "F" for a bad product design and
"expected" support (ambiguous web page).

They make a refrigerator in which we would be *very* interested.
But, with this experience behind us, we won't even consider it
(the dollars involved are substantial). Similarly, have been
casually looking at TV's and routinely pass the Samsung units by.
Also notice how often we see one at the "returns" counter at
Costco.

philo wrote:

Within two hours they were out and replaced the modem

no charge

How much rental do they charge for the modem every month?

On 10/25/2015 02:06 PM, Neill Massello wrote:
philo wrote:

Within two hours they were out and replaced the modem

no charge

How much rental do they charge for the modem every month?



Very good question.
It's $7 a month. I do know that I would have been better off to buy my
own and was just thinking of doing so prior to this problem.


Now that you brought this up I see maybe my "good deal" was not so good
as I've paid $70 this year to rent it...and I bet I can get one on eBay
for that price.


Well, I guess now would be the time for me to buy my own equipment

thanks for bringing up that point.

"philo" wrote in message
...
Very good question.
It's $7 a month. I do know that I would have been better off to buy my
own and was just thinking of doing so prior to this problem.


Now that you brought this up I see maybe my "good deal" was not so good as
I've paid $70 this year to rent it...and I bet I can get one on eBay for
that price.


Well, I guess now would be the time for me to buy my own equipment

I am on TWC and bought my own modem a couple of years ago. A monthor so ago
they upgraded the standard speed from 15 to 50 meg bits or whatever.

The modem I had bought was new and only $ 25 shipped form ebay. It works
fine at 15,but not rated for over 30 or so. With the upgrade, I found
someone on ebay that had a new modem like the TWC recommended one for $ 50
shipped. They usuallly run about $ 65 to $ 70 shipped.

Easy to install. Just hook up the modem and wait for a short period of time
and the computer screen connects to the internet and asks for a few numbers
off the modem and then it starts up.

On 10/25/2015 04:00 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"philo" wrote in message
...
Very good question.
It's $7 a month. I do know that I would have been better off to buy my
own and was just thinking of doing so prior to this problem.


Now that you brought this up I see maybe my "good deal" was not so good as
I've paid $70 this year to rent it...and I bet I can get one on eBay for
that price.


Well, I guess now would be the time for me to buy my own equipment

I am on TWC and bought my own modem a couple of years ago. A monthor so ago
they upgraded the standard speed from 15 to 50 meg bits or whatever.

The modem I had bought was new and only $ 25 shipped form ebay. It works
fine at 15,but not rated for over 30 or so. With the upgrade, I found
someone on ebay that had a new modem like the TWC recommended one for $ 50
shipped. They usuallly run about $ 65 to $ 70 shipped.

Easy to install. Just hook up the modem and wait for a short period of time
and the computer screen connects to the internet and asks for a few numbers
off the modem and then it starts up.





No problem installing a new one as one of the things I do is computer
repair.

Even though I'm aware that I'm getting "ripped off" so to speak to rent
one the fact that I got it replaced within a couple hours of my
call...on a Saturday night yet kind of makes it worth it.

If I had my own and it died, it would take me a few days to get one from
eBay.

On 10/25/2015 5:18 PM, philo wrote:

Even though I'm aware that I'm getting "ripped off" so to speak to rent
one the fact that I got it replaced within a couple hours of my
call...on a Saturday night yet kind of makes it worth it.

If I had my own and it died, it would take me a few days to get one from
eBay.



Time is money. You can get one same day from Staples or Best Buy, but
you will pay more. $70 to $100

On 2015-10-25 5:18 PM, philo wrote:
On 10/25/2015 04:00 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"philo" wrote in message
...
Very good question.
It's $7 a month. I do know that I would have been better off to buy my
own and was just thinking of doing so prior to this problem.


Now that you brought this up I see maybe my "good deal" was not so
good as
I've paid $70 this year to rent it...and I bet I can get one on eBay for
that price.


Well, I guess now would be the time for me to buy my own equipment

I am on TWC and bought my own modem a couple of years ago. A monthor
so ago
they upgraded the standard speed from 15 to 50 meg bits or whatever.

The modem I had bought was new and only $ 25 shipped form ebay. It works
fine at 15,but not rated for over 30 or so. With the upgrade, I found
someone on ebay that had a new modem like the TWC recommended one for
$ 50
shipped. They usuallly run about $ 65 to $ 70 shipped.

Easy to install. Just hook up the modem and wait for a short period
of time
and the computer screen connects to the internet and asks for a few
numbers
off the modem and then it starts up.





No problem installing a new one as one of the things I do is computer
repair.

Even though I'm aware that I'm getting "ripped off" so to speak to rent
one the fact that I got it replaced within a couple hours of my
call...on a Saturday night yet kind of makes it worth it.

If I had my own and it died, it would take me a few days to get one from
eBay.


I buy mine outright from my ISP, it died, they shipped me one that same
day, I got it the following morning. I assume that option exists in the
US, but this is in Canada.

--
Froz...

Quando omni flunkus, moritati

On 10/25/2015 04:46 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 10/25/2015 5:18 PM, philo wrote:

Even though I'm aware that I'm getting "ripped off" so to speak to rent
one the fact that I got it replaced within a couple hours of my
call...on a Saturday night yet kind of makes it worth it.

If I had my own and it died, it would take me a few days to get one from
eBay.



Time is money. You can get one same day from Staples or Best Buy, but
you will pay more. $70 to $100



Now that I can buy much of the stuff on-line...I find it a PITA to drive
to the store and wait in line etc.


But yes, if I need something locally there is a computer store near here.

On 10/25/2015 04:48 PM, FrozenNorth wrote:
On 201X
and the computer screen connects to the internet and asks for a few
Xlling a new one as one of the things I do is computer
repair.

Even though I'm aware that I'm getting "ripped off" so to speak to rent
one the fact that I got it replaced within a couple hours of my
call...on a Saturday night yet kind of makes it worth it.

If I had my own and it died, it would take me a few days to get one from
eBay.


I buy mine outright from my ISP, it died, they shipped me one that same
day, I got it the following morning. I assume that option exists in the
US, but this is in Canada.




I probably can do that if I want to spend a little more money.

I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a
spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

On 10/25/2015 4:58 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

Old computers still retain functionality. An old modem may be a doorstop
once your ISP "moves on". I have several pricey ( $1K) dialup modems -- e.g.,
Telebit 8840's -- that are *barely* useful as doorstops!

http://hancomputer.com/media/product/2a/telebit-fastblazer-8840-f9.jpg

Likewise, many DOCSIS 2.0 devices effectively rendered useless by the
move to DOCSIS 3.0, etc.

It rarely pays to make long term "investments" in technology -- esp
commodity products!

Find an auction nearby (police, city/county, university, large business,
auctioneers, etc.) and pick up what you want for a song, typically.

I need a "new" (IDE) DVD writer for one of my computers. I'll pick
up a scrap computer for $3 next week, pull the DVD drive, RAM and
hard disk -- then toss the rest in the recycle pile (not worth
salvaging anything beyond this level of "detail")

On Sun, 25 Oct 2015 11:46:19 -0700, Don Y
wrote:



Mentioned this to the librarian who had initially recommended the
unit (washer and dryer). Her reply: "Oh, we've already replaced
*both* the washer and dryer (due to failures)". Wunnerful.


Few people can objectively judge something they paid money for.
Some, but few.

philo wrote:

Now that you brought this up I see maybe my "good deal" was not so good
as I've paid $70 this year to rent it...and I bet I can get one on eBay
for that price.

You don't even have to go used. You can get a new DOCSIS 3 modem for
about that price. My observation is that cable modems last a long time.
My TWC-supplied Motorola lasted for more than ten years, until they
started charging rent and I bought my own.

ISPs do indeed recover their costs in less than a year of modem rental
fees. After that, the modem generates pure gravy for them until a system
technology upgrade or something else other than hardware failure forces
a replacement.

On 10/25/2015 5:43 PM, Vic Smith wrote:
On Sun, 25 Oct 2015 11:46:19 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

Mentioned this to the librarian who had initially recommended the
unit (washer and dryer). Her reply: "Oh, we've already replaced
*both* the washer and dryer (due to failures)". Wunnerful.

Few people can objectively judge something they paid money for.
Some, but few.

Someone recently wrote a "popular" title regarding how prices are set
(and manipulated) and how we decide what something is "worth".
Title escapes me, at the moment. Something like:
"blahblahblah Why we pay what we do".

It was an interesting examination as to how we think about "value"
and how marketeers leverage those practices to manipulate us
into thinking favorably about *their* price points. It also
tried to address whether or not *everything* in life has some
sort of "price" associated with it ("mating", reproducing, voting,
etc.)

Some of the examples given were entertaining, if nothing else!

On Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 7:29:27 PM UTC-5, Don Y wrote:
On 10/25/2015 4:58 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

Old computers still retain functionality. An old modem may be a doorstop
once your ISP "moves on". I have several pricey ( $1K) dialup modems -- e.g.,
Telebit 8840's -- that are *barely* useful as doorstops!

http://hancomputer.com/media/product/2a/telebit-fastblazer-8840-f9.jpg

Likewise, many DOCSIS 2.0 devices effectively rendered useless by the
move to DOCSIS 3.0, etc.

It rarely pays to make long term "investments" in technology -- esp
commodity products!

Find an auction nearby (police, city/county, university, large business,
auctioneers, etc.) and pick up what you want for a song, typically.

I need a "new" (IDE) DVD writer for one of my computers. I'll pick
up a scrap computer for $3 next week, pull the DVD drive, RAM and
hard disk -- then toss the rest in the recycle pile (not worth
salvaging anything beyond this level of "detail")

Well ASOK, you might find a collector who'd love to have that old modem by listing it on eBay. Or you can get this for your collection. ^__^

http://tinyurl.com/psqvpdl

http://tinyurl.com/ocekmrz

[8~{} Uncle Computer Monster

On 10/25/2015 8:27 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 7:29:27 PM UTC-5, Don Y wrote:
On 10/25/2015 4:58 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a
spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

Old computers still retain functionality. An old modem may be a doorstop
once your ISP "moves on". I have several pricey ( $1K) dialup modems --
e.g., Telebit 8840's -- that are *barely* useful as doorstops!

http://hancomputer.com/media/product/2a/telebit-fastblazer-8840-f9.jpg

Well ASOK, you might find a collector who'd love to have that old modem by
listing it on eBay. Or you can get this for your collection. ^__^

I kept a pair of them for a leased-line application I built for
a client many years ago. They'll probably just end up in the
recycle pile (I don't like bothering with eBay selling).

E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

Don Y wrote:
On 10/25/2015 8:27 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 7:29:27 PM UTC-5, Don Y wrote:
On 10/25/2015 4:58 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a
spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

Old computers still retain functionality. An old modem may be a
doorstop
once your ISP "moves on". I have several pricey ( $1K) dialup modems --
e.g., Telebit 8840's -- that are *barely* useful as doorstops!

http://hancomputer.com/media/product/2a/telebit-fastblazer-8840-f9.jpg

Well ASOK, you might find a collector who'd love to have that old
modem by
listing it on eBay. Or you can get this for your collection. ^__^

I kept a pair of them for a leased-line application I built for
a client many years ago. They'll probably just end up in the
recycle pile (I don't like bothering with eBay selling).

E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

I still swing old bug on the air once in a while. Who could hear it's a
bug are far and in between and passing generation. 24K gold plated with
ruby jewel bearings. KB generated codes sound too mechanical, inhumane
sounding. I have J38 hand key and iambic paddle as well. Good finger
exercise devices.

On 10/25/2015 10:16 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Don Y wrote:

E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

I still swing old bug on the air once in a while. Who could hear it's a bug are
far and in between and passing generation. 24K gold plated with ruby jewel
bearings. KB generated codes sound too mechanical, inhumane sounding. I have
J38 hand key and iambic paddle as well. Good finger exercise devices.

Misunderstanding. ASR-33 is not a key/keyer but, rather, an old
teletype (TTY):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletype_Model_33

When I was young, Code was still a requirement for a license
(AFAICT, that requirement has been dropped -- at least in the US).
Unfortunately, I don't have the "audio acuity" to resolve code
by ear -- I need to transcribe to paper, then sight-read it.
So, never bothered going for my license.

[I have the same "problem" touch-reading Braille -- I need to
*see* it to read it!]

Now, even without the code requirement, I have too many other
interests than to drop more time and money into yet another
"distraction". Life is too short to pursue everything you
might want to try! :

[P.S. How does your wife like her new wheels? Did you notice
the passenger side "left foot placement" issue?]

On 10/25/2015 07:29 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 10/25/2015 4:58 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a
spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

Old computers still retain functionality. An old modem may be a doorstop
once your ISP "moves on". I have several pricey ( $1K) dialup modems --
e.g.,
Telebit 8840's -- that are *barely* useful as doorstops!

http://hancomputer.com/media/product/2a/telebit-fastblazer-8840-f9.jpg


I had a huge obsolete computer collection and have never seen one of those!

Still have a few obsolete machines in my collection but gave away about
half of them.


Likewise, many DOCSIS 2.0 devices effectively rendered useless by the
move to DOCSIS 3.0, etc.

It rarely pays to make long term "investments" in technology -- esp
commodity products!

Find an auction nearby (police, city/county, university, large business,
auctioneers, etc.) and pick up what you want for a song, typically.

I need a "new" (IDE) DVD writer for one of my computers. I'll pick
up a scrap computer for $3 next week, pull the DVD drive, RAM and
hard disk -- then toss the rest in the recycle pile (not worth
salvaging anything beyond this level of "detail")


I usually get my stuff free when my friends upgrade.

Though I build new machines for my wife and friends, I've never had one
myself...
all build from oter's discards.

On 10/26/2015 04:15 AM, Don Y wrote:
OX

When I was young, Code was still a requirement for a license
(AFAICT, that requirement has been dropped -- at least in the US).
Unfortunately, I don't have the "audio acuity" to resolve code
by ear -- I need to transcribe to paper, then sight-read it.
So, never bothered going for my license.

[I have the same "problem" touch-reading Braille -- I need to
*see* it to read it!]

Now, even without the code requirement, I have too many other
interests than to drop more time and money into yet another
"distraction". Life is too short to pursue everything you
might want to try! :

[P.S. How does your wife like her new wheels? Did you notice
the passenger side "left foot placement" issue?]



Got my "ham" ticket back in '64

still am licensed but inactive... things are not quite the same as they
were in the old days


Usenet is my present day substitute for ham radio

On 10/26/2015 3:14 AM, philo wrote:
On 10/25/2015 07:29 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 10/25/2015 4:58 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a
spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

Old computers still retain functionality. An old modem may be a doorstop
once your ISP "moves on". I have several pricey ( $1K) dialup modems --
e.g.,
Telebit 8840's -- that are *barely* useful as doorstops!

http://hancomputer.com/media/product/2a/telebit-fastblazer-8840-f9.jpg

I had a huge obsolete computer collection and have never seen one of those!

I was particularly fond of Telebit modems, back in the day, and
probably owned every model they produced. Different signalling
conventions -- sort of like Beta vs VHS -- but widely used on
UN*X systems. Back when we used UUCP to deliver mail, etc. :

The 8840 is good for leased line applications. It can also be
"programmed" to autodial a number and negotiate a connection
in the event the leased line fails.

Still have a few obsolete machines in my collection but gave away about half of
them.

I've kept:
- a Compaq Portable 386 w/ expansion chassis (lunchbox, plasma screen) as
my sole ISA machine (I have a coprocessor that requires an ISA bus)
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1065&st=1
- a Compaq Portable III as spare parts for the 386, esp the display and
odd form factor 5" floppies
http://www.oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html
- a Sun Blade 2000 for Solaris/SPARC development (heavy beast! I think
it is like 75 pounds!)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_Blade_2000.jpg
- and a Sun Voyager cuz its cute!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/peterl/6319660621/

For the most part, I only hang onto things that I need to support some
old project, past client, etc.

Likewise, many DOCSIS 2.0 devices effectively rendered useless by the
move to DOCSIS 3.0, etc.

It rarely pays to make long term "investments" in technology -- esp
commodity products!

Find an auction nearby (police, city/county, university, large business,
auctioneers, etc.) and pick up what you want for a song, typically.

I need a "new" (IDE) DVD writer for one of my computers. I'll pick
up a scrap computer for $3 next week, pull the DVD drive, RAM and
hard disk -- then toss the rest in the recycle pile (not worth
salvaging anything beyond this level of "detail")

I usually get my stuff free when my friends upgrade.

Ditto. Or, "broken" but repairable with a little time and effort.

But, for (IDE) DVD writers, its easier to just grab a machine on its
way to the "recycle" pile and pay for its "scrap" value. *Waiting*
for an IDE DVD to "show up" might leave me with just SATA discards
from friends who tend to be more "current" in their purchases!

Though I build new machines for my wife and friends, I've never had one myself...
all build from oter's discards.

I paid $8K/ea for a pair of 386/25's back in the mid 80's. Since then,
most of my purchases have been for software, peripherals, diagnostic tools,
test equipment, etc. The "computers" always seem to show up for free (or
close to it!).

And, as this is what I do for a *living*, damn near all of them are
"faster than I can think" so I'm not obsessed with having the
latest/greatest, fastest, etc. 99.9999999% of the time, the machines
are sitting waiting for me to decide which *key* to strike, next!

Rescued an HP TX1120us last night that I will either turn into a
"respectable" portable DVD player *or*, perhaps, take advantage of the
pen input and use it as an ebook reader.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147414

Next, I'll tackle the 24" monitors.

"Don Y" wrote in message
...
E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

Not sure what they are going for now,but were in demand at a couple hundred
a while back. I understand they are a real pain to crate up so they arrive
without damage. Beter for local pickup.

On 10/26/2015 11:07 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Don Y" wrote in message
...
E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

Not sure what they are going for now,but were in demand at a couple hundred
a while back. I understand they are a real pain to crate up so they arrive
without damage. Beter for local pickup.

Exactly. You must remove the unit from the pedestal base -- so, that's
*one* box. Then, take the plastic top skin off the terminal -- so
that's another box. Then, mount the mechanism to a wooden plate
to go into yet a third box.

Unfortunately, most folks are more interested in the latest overclocked
toys. And, I suspect, most of them have never actually *used* one
so have no nostalgic feelings associated with them. (I used one with
a 103 modem in the 70's, "storing" my programs on PPT!)

On 10/26/2015 01:07 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Don Y" wrote in message
...
E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

Not sure what they are going for now,but were in demand at a couple hundred
a while back. I understand they are a real pain to crate up so they arrive
without damage. Beter for local pickup.




I just got a free one.

A friend of mine just got a new laptop and wanted me to transfer the
data from his old desktop.

I took his old machine in payment and he gave me the AT&T modem that he
no longer needed (it was from the business he retired from).

If it works OK then I'll see about canceling the rented one.

On 10/26/2015 01:06 PM, Don Y wrote:
Xem.

I've kept:
- a Compaq Portable 386 w/ expansion chassis (lunchbox, plasma screen) as

Wow, now that is a keeper

my sole ISA machine (I have a coprocessor that requires an ISA bus)
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1065&st=1
- a Compaq Portable III as spare parts for the 386, esp the display and
odd form factor 5" floppies
http://www.oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html
- a Sun Blade 2000 for Solaris/SPARC development (heavy beast! I think
it is like 75 pounds!)


Had a SPARC but gave it away


some of the machines aI have left though are the


Compaq "sewing machine"

A Kaypro

a Zenith Data Systems 286 that I put an ISA RAM expansion card just so I
could say I have a 286 with 16 megs of RAM


an IBM PS/2

and some Apple SE's


so I still have a decent colletion
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_Blade_2000.jpg
- and a Sun Voyager cuz its cute!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/peterl/6319660621/

For the most part, I only hang onto things that I need to support some
old project, past client, etc.

Likewise, many DOCSIS 2.0 devices effectively rendered useless by the
move to DOCSIS 3.0, etc.

It rarely pays to make long term "investments" in technology -- esp
commodity products!

Find an auction nearby (police, city/county, university, large business,
auctioneers, etc.) and pick up what you want for a song, typically.

I need a "new" (IDE) DVD writer for one of my computers. I'll pick
up a scrap computer for $3 next week, pull the DVD drive, RAM and
hard disk -- then toss the rest in the recycle pile (not worth
salvaging anything beyond this level of "detail")

I usually get my stuff free when my friends upgrade.

Ditto. Or, "broken" but repairable with a little time and effort.

But, for (IDE) DVD writers, its easier to just grab a machine on its
way to the "recycle" pile and pay for its "scrap" value. *Waiting*
for an IDE DVD to "show up" might leave me with just SATA discards
from friends who tend to be more "current" in their purchases!

Though I build new machines for my wife and friends, I've never had
one myself...
all build from oter's discards.

I paid $8K/ea for a pair of 386/25's back in the mid 80's. Since then,
most of my purchases have been for software, peripherals, diagnostic tools,
test equipment, etc. The "computers" always seem to show up for free (or
close to it!).

And, as this is what I do for a *living*, damn near all of them are
"faster than I can think" so I'm not obsessed with having the
latest/greatest, fastest, etc. 99.9999999% of the time, the machines
are sitting waiting for me to decide which *key* to strike, next!

Rescued an HP TX1120us last night that I will either turn into a
"respectable" portable DVD player *or*, perhaps, take advantage of the
pen input and use it as an ebook reader.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147414

Next, I'll tackle the 24" monitors.

On 10/26/2015 11:23 AM, philo wrote:
On 10/26/2015 01:06 PM, Don Y wrote:
Xem.

I've kept:
- a Compaq Portable 386 w/ expansion chassis (lunchbox, plasma screen) as

Wow, now that is a keeper

It's not particularly fast. And, I had to modify the BIOS ROMs to
get it to accept a 600MB (that's *MB* not *GB*) hard disk. But,
it gives me the ISA slots and "stores" a keyboard and display
in the same box -- so, when I need it, I don't have to find an external
keyboard, external display, etc.

I also have a carrying case for it. The case is expandable to
account for configurations WITH and WITHOUT the expansion chassis
hanging off the side!

Battery is perpetually dead, regardless of how often I repair it
(it's a proprietary battery module soldered onto the main board
so you can't just drop in new batteries!)

my sole ISA machine (I have a coprocessor that requires an ISA bus)
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1065&st=1
- a Compaq Portable III as spare parts for the 386, esp the display and
odd form factor 5" floppies
http://www.oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html
- a Sun Blade 2000 for Solaris/SPARC development (heavy beast! I think
it is like 75 pounds!)

Had a SPARC but gave it away

I have probably had every model SPARCstation, in the past. I was
very fond of an LX (nice, small form factor, quiet, reasonably
low power) that I'd upgraded to 128MB of RAM. It was a nice little
HTTP/FTP server for many years (it was quiet enough that I
could leave it running in my bedroom, 24/7, and not be disturbed
by it)

By comparison, the SB2000 is more like a server in terms of
noise level. The power supply itself is ~15# and the size of
three or four widescreen laptops, stacked atop each other.

some of the machines aI have left though are the

Compaq "sewing machine"

I had one, years ago. Very heavy. The Portable 386 is *almost* as heavy
(esp with the expansion chassis) but much denser; marginally easier to
lug around than the original "portable". But, you still "lean to one side"
when carrying it!

A Kaypro

a Zenith Data Systems 286 that I put an ISA RAM expansion card just so I could
say I have a 286 with 16 megs of RAM

My 386/25's had 13MB of RAM. And a 60MB disk! And, I was *enamored* with
"all that memory"! How quickly times change! :

an IBM PS/2
and some Apple SE's

so I still have a decent colletion

I don't "collect" anything (stamps, baseball caps, computers, antiques,
etc.) but, rather, stockpile things for which I have a current or future
use. As these sorts of things take up lots of space, there's little
room for "things that need to be dusted" (collections).

I've been methodically moving all of my paper records, books, etc.
to electronic media in an attempt to "recover" the space that they
consume (when I moved here, I had *80* "Xerox boxes" full of
paperback novels; I've trimmed that to *two* boxes of "must keeps").

There are 10 computers in my little office but 6 of them "share"
the 7 displays (each display has an A/B selector switch so I
put one computer on the A input and another on the B input; push
a button to toggle between computers instead of having to add displays
or move cables). The other 4 machines are run headless and accessed
via telnet or via X servers. Less hassle than trying to cram all of
the functionality embodied in those 10 machines onto a fewer number
of machines (and less hassle when time comes to update one of them
and move all that software!)

"Don Y" wrote in message
...
E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

I have some interest in an ASR-33; what part of the country are
you located in?

On 10/26/2015 12:58 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
"Don Y" wrote in message
...
E.g., I've also got an ASR-33 that needs a new home... more trouble
to crate than it would be worth to *sell*!

I have some interest in an ASR-33; what part of the country are
you located in?

Desert southwest. A northern suburb of Mexico.

On 10/26/2015 02:13 PM, Don Y wrote:
X that to *two* boxes of "must keeps").


snipped but read

There are 10 computers in my little office but 6 of them "share"
the 7 displays (each display has an A/B selector switch so I
put one computer on the A input and another on the B input; push
a button to toggle between computers instead of having to add displays
or move cables). The other 4 machines are run headless and accessed
via telnet or via X servers. Less hassle than trying to cram all of
the functionality embodied in those 10 machines onto a fewer number
of machines (and less hassle when time comes to update one of them
and move all that software!)


I really did have to get a lot of the stuff out of the house.

I had it stashed in the basement and attic. As long as it was not in the
house proper, my wife did not complain...but it was getting too
cluttered even for me.

Also got rid of a few console radios...but still have plenty left.


One of the machines I had at one time in addition to the Zenith Data
Systems 286 I had a Z.D.S 386 with a 150 meg MFM hard drive.

I bet it cost a fortune

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:06:37 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 10/26/2015 3:14 AM, philo wrote:
On 10/25/2015 07:29 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 10/25/2015 4:58 PM, philo wrote:
I suppose I could also buy a spare...I pretty much have a
spare...everything.

Must have at least 20 computers in the house and boxes of spare parts.

Old computers still retain functionality. An old modem may be a doorstop
once your ISP "moves on". I have several pricey ( $1K) dialup modems --
e.g.,
Telebit 8840's -- that are *barely* useful as doorstops!

http://hancomputer.com/media/product/2a/telebit-fastblazer-8840-f9.jpg

I had a huge obsolete computer collection and have never seen one of those!

I was particularly fond of Telebit modems, back in the day, and
probably owned every model they produced. Different signalling
conventions -- sort of like Beta vs VHS -- but widely used on
UN*X systems. Back when we used UUCP to deliver mail, etc. :

The 8840 is good for leased line applications. It can also be
"programmed" to autodial a number and negotiate a connection
in the event the leased line fails.

Still have a few obsolete machines in my collection but gave away about half of
them.

I've kept:
- a Compaq Portable 386 w/ expansion chassis (lunchbox, plasma screen) as
my sole ISA machine (I have a coprocessor that requires an ISA bus)
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1065&st=1
- a Compaq Portable III as spare parts for the 386, esp the display and
odd form factor 5" floppies


The company I started in the computer business with built and sold
thousands of "lunchbox" clones, from XPs to 486's with both plasma and
LCD screens


http://www.oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html
- a Sun Blade 2000 for Solaris/SPARC development (heavy beast! I think
it is like 75 pounds!)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_Blade_2000.jpg
- and a Sun Voyager cuz its cute!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/peterl/6319660621/

For the most part, I only hang onto things that I need to support some
old project, past client, etc.

Likewise, many DOCSIS 2.0 devices effectively rendered useless by the
move to DOCSIS 3.0, etc.

It rarely pays to make long term "investments" in technology -- esp
commodity products!

Find an auction nearby (police, city/county, university, large business,
auctioneers, etc.) and pick up what you want for a song, typically.

I need a "new" (IDE) DVD writer for one of my computers. I'll pick
up a scrap computer for $3 next week, pull the DVD drive, RAM and
hard disk -- then toss the rest in the recycle pile (not worth
salvaging anything beyond this level of "detail")

I usually get my stuff free when my friends upgrade.

Ditto. Or, "broken" but repairable with a little time and effort.

But, for (IDE) DVD writers, its easier to just grab a machine on its
way to the "recycle" pile and pay for its "scrap" value. *Waiting*
for an IDE DVD to "show up" might leave me with just SATA discards
from friends who tend to be more "current" in their purchases!

Though I build new machines for my wife and friends, I've never had one myself...
all build from oter's discards.

I paid $8K/ea for a pair of 386/25's back in the mid 80's. Since then,
most of my purchases have been for software, peripherals, diagnostic tools,
test equipment, etc. The "computers" always seem to show up for free (or
close to it!).

And, as this is what I do for a *living*, damn near all of them are
"faster than I can think" so I'm not obsessed with having the
latest/greatest, fastest, etc. 99.9999999% of the time, the machines
are sitting waiting for me to decide which *key* to strike, next!

Rescued an HP TX1120us last night that I will either turn into a
"respectable" portable DVD player *or*, perhaps, take advantage of the
pen input and use it as an ebook reader.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147414

Next, I'll tackle the 24" monitors.

After 20 years using computers made from scavenged parts, or
"trade-ins" I broke down and bought myself a new computer last year,
as a treat.

On 10/26/2015 3:42 PM, philo wrote:
On 10/26/2015 02:13 PM, Don Y wrote:

There are 10 computers in my little office but 6 of them "share"
the 7 displays (each display has an A/B selector switch so I
put one computer on the A input and another on the B input; push
a button to toggle between computers instead of having to add displays
or move cables). The other 4 machines are run headless and accessed
via telnet or via X servers. Less hassle than trying to cram all of
the functionality embodied in those 10 machines onto a fewer number
of machines (and less hassle when time comes to update one of them
and move all that software!)

I really did have to get a lot of the stuff out of the house.

I had it stashed in the basement and attic. As long as it was not in the house
proper, my wife did not complain...but it was getting too cluttered even for me.

We have no basement and no attic. And, storing things in the garage
subjects them to pretty severe temperature extremes (e.g., most
mechanisms "dry out" when stored there).

So, anything "stored" has to be stored *in* the house. This naturally
suggests only "storing" things that you are actually *using*. :

Also got rid of a few console radios...but still have plenty left.

I've been moving to get rid of all the "electronics kit" around the
house (DVD players, "stereos", speakers, doorbells, etc.) to further
reduce "clutter". E.g., I have installed speakers in the ceiling,
"up high" in the kitchen, back porch, etc. and deliver audio content
to them via network connections -- which also supply power to
the amplifiers in the speakers.

So, we can listen to music *or* the audio from the "TV/movie"
that we are watching *or* an "annunciator" that informs us
when someone is at the front door (i.e., "doorbell"). Without
having "matte black" boxes with lots of cables lying around
on "entertainment centers".

One of the machines I had at one time in addition to the Zenith Data Systems
286 I had a Z.D.S 386 with a 150 meg MFM hard drive.

I bet it cost a fortune

As I said, my 386/25's with 13M RAM and a 60M disk (and a *tiny* color
monitor) cost me $8K/each. People take for granted how inexpensive
things have become! Each of my workstations has 1T of disk and
the slowest one is 3GHz dual processor.

On 10/26/2015 4:28 PM, wrote:

After 20 years using computers made from scavenged parts, or
"trade-ins" I broke down and bought myself a new computer last year,
as a treat.

Usually, I can't move to the latest and greatest. E.g., I still need
*real* serial and parallel ports for some of the more unusual
peripherals that I have (space ball, Phaser solid ink printer,
Summa B-size digitizing tablet, etc.) -- unless I decided to replace
them *just* to move away from those interfaces. My Unisite (PROM
programmer) boots from 3.5 inch floppies so I need to be able to
make/read those. My SCSI peripherals (film scanner, B size scanner,
MO drive, assorted tape transports, etc.) all rely on a SCSI HBA's
to connect to the various machines -- these HBA are all PCI.

Video cards are a mess as it seems like every machine has a different
"standard".

I treat my laptops as the closest thing to "generic" machines; they
don't have any software that relies on particular hardware peripherals
(except built in fingerprint readers or touch panels).

OTOH, there is very little "mainstream" software that I run (other
than a browser) as my needs/uses tend to be far more "specialty"

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:37:53 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

As I said, my 386/25's with 13M RAM and a 60M disk (and a *tiny* color
monitor) cost me $8K/each. People take for granted how inexpensive
things have become! Each of my workstations has 1T of disk and
the slowest one is 3GHz dual processor.

I've always had plenty of disk space. Put a 30mb hard drive in my
original IBM PC soon after I bought it. Cost about $500, the price of
a decent used car in '84.
I had just started working on contract at McDonald's corporate in '95
and allocated about 500mb for some testing. Can't remember how many
cylinders, but it wasn't excessive in my experience. They were
probably still using 3380's.
Soon Data Management phoned me and told me I needed pre-approval
to allocate that much space. Okay. I was already done testing and
had freed the space.
Later I went for a smoke and was introduced to another smoker, who was
the head of the data management department. He said "You the Vic that
grabbed all my space?" I laughed and said I had 3 times that space on
my hard drives at home.
He said, "Bring 'em in here."