12 MHz computer only $1999

[the_ancient]

Heres a Flash back for you

Radio Shack Ads from 1988
http://www.maj.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=129131

[JPC-Greg]

sweet, ordering me one right now.

On this note, would anyone be interested in buying custom made jaguar ..um, pc's? Seriously im thinking of revisiting the market that the company started out in, before hosting, isp, dialup, it was selling pc's. Im thinking super high end custom fabircated desktops.

[Vin DSL]

Let it die, Chief!

It's bad enough with the_ancient living in the past...

[Spathiphyllum]

Sorry, Jag.

Some geeks here assembled still prefer to build their own.

Besides, can you really make a profit any more to make it worthwhile? What are the margins? What unique add-on could you provide to really compete?

[JPC-Greg]

im thinking of catering more towards the lazy geeks, ie alienware.. with boxes that dont resemmble boxes, and run completely quiet, no fans, and overclockable.

for starters

[the_ancient]

One Word

HTPC's...... that is where is money is today..... Most major Retailer, think Best buy CC etc, use PC sales as a Loss Leader to the software and accessories markets. They make very little sometimes even LOSING money on the hardware that is why the push the media (Blank CDr's DVD's Flash Drives etc) warranties, and a bunch of overprices junk they sell....

That is not to say there is not room for another Dell, there is, but your going to have to put your thinking cap on and come up with a good gimmick. if you want to Bust in the home PC market...

However, Home Theater PC's are growing in popularity, and very few, if any companies, get it right, most just take a off the self PC and throw Window XP MCE on it and call it a HTPC (thanks dell ) so I think there is a good market there

[Vin DSL]

Most major Retailer, think Best buy CC etc, use PC sales as a Loss Leader... They make very little sometimes even LOSING money on the hardware...

Wrong...

These 'big box' retailers have back-end deals with all the manufacturers. They get paid, for instance, for stocking Product-X, and not Product-Y. That's how they can afford to 'sell' stuff for $0.00 after rebate, and so forth, and so on. Nobody is losing money, believe me...

Let's just say they make more money on the back-end deals than at the cash register, on these loss-leaders, so called. I know this for a fact!

[JPC-Greg]

Forming a business model on price, trying to be the cheapest, isnt something Im ever interested in doing. Id rather deliver service, quality, a unique or at least sought after product and brand.

[Vin DSL]

im thinking of catering more towards the lazy geeks, ie alienware...

You should get a hold of the Brits, and talk them into becoming a distributor/reseller for their cases!

Alienware cases are the sh!t, but they're extremely hard to find. The only way you can get one is by purchasing it with a system -- or on eBay, et cetera. That's why there are so many clones out there.

Short of that... the Asus Vento 3600 would be your best bet!

[JPC-Greg]

I dont want their case, nor any other typical pc case. I have a line up on a fabircation of custom designed units.

[the_ancient]

Wrong...

These 'big box' retailers have back-end deals with all the manufacturers. They get paid, for instance, for stocking Product-X, and not Product-Y. That's how they can afford to 'sell' stuff for $0.00 after rebate, and so forth, and so on. Nobody is losing money, believe me...

Let's just say they make more money on the back-end deals than at the cash register, on these loss-leaders, so called. I know this for a fact!

LOL, your telling me about retail if there is one thing I know it is RETAIL, I have worked in or for just about every Major Retailer in the nation, I have worked in every aspect of Retail, from Selling, Buying, Contruction, Setups, etc.

It does not NOT change the FACT that the Prebuilt Computers are seen as a LOSS LEADER for the major electronic companies.

[the_ancient]

Forming a business model on price, trying to be the cheapest, isnt something Im ever interested in doing. Id rather deliver service, quality, a unique or at least sought after product and brand.

<cough> .....</cough>

But you are correct, someone is always a bigger Whore, willing to work for less

Unless your Walmart, You will never win.....

[Ron]

I have always heard that actual "loss leaders" are illegal in Massachusetts. It is actually illegal to sell for less than you pay for it.
How they get around it is probably why there are mail in/internet rebates involved, maybe even why sometimes their ads say:
"$100 after $300 Instant Rebate"

[the_ancient]

I have always heard that actual "loss leaders" are illegal in Massachusetts. It is actually illegal to sell for less than you pay for it.
How they get around it is probably why there are mail in/internet rebates involved, maybe even why sometimes their ads say:
"$100 after $300 Instant Rebate"

I dont see how that is even possible. Nor likly.. Does your Walmart sell music? Walmart (at leat they use to about a year ago) bought music for $1-2 more per Disc than they sold if for...

When I worked in Walmart's there were Several Items that were sold at a loss

[Ron]

Just Googling "loss leader illegal Massachusetts" I came up with many hits, the first of which was about California:

Further, California's competition statutes go far beyond the limited competition strictures of the Sherman and Clayton Acts, proscribing (for example) the use of loss leaders and locality discrimination in ways that federal antitrust laws do not address.
[...]
Below Cost Sales

The Act also bans "sales below cost" by selling or offering to sell products at prices below the seller's cost in the intent to injure the complaining party or destroy competition. See Business and Professions Code 17043; Western Union Financial Services, Inc. v. First Data Corp. (1993) 20 Cal.App.4th 1530; Sandler v. Gordon (1949) 94 Cal.App.2d 254.

The evidence that may be used to determine the costs involved is set out in the Business and Professions Code (Business and Professions Code Sections 17071 et. seq.) varies contingent upon the types of components that make up the seller's cost of providing the product.

Loss Leader Sales

The Act also bars "loss leader" sales, defined as sales (1) below cost, (2) to induce, promote or encourage the purchase of other merchandise, and (3) with the intent to injure competitors or destroy competition. Business and Professions Code 17044.

Affirmative Defenses

The act contemplates various affirmative defenses to a charge of unlawful loss leader or below cost sales or locality discrimination, including the fact that the sale was a close-out sale or was of damaged or perishable items. Business and Professions Code 17050.

http://www.lectlaw.com/files/ant15.htm

I don't need to go further and find MA's laws for you, do I? They're probably similar. More likly now?