On 10 Jan 99, at 13:15, [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Can anyone purchase from an OEM like you suggested in your original
> message??

  It isn't so much that you can go to a real OEM and buy parts.  What
happens is that some OEMs will offer, for public sale, the versions
they get without fancy packaging or end-user tech support (and
occasionally using lower-spec subcomponents...), for less than MSRP.
Consumers who don't care about those can Buy OEM versions cheaper than
retail versions; retailers don't like this competition.  In some cases,
an OEM that does this may no longer be able to get OEM parts.
  As products become obsolete, OEMs are often faced with a choice
between destroying obsolete inventory (and writing it off as a loss),
or disposing of it through surplus or charitable channels, recovering
either a fraction of the cost or a tax write-off.  So you may often
find not-quite-current OEM-version parts at electronics surplus stores.
Or, around here, there's a "Computer Recycling Center" where computer
stuff can be donated for a tax write-off; anything they can't use
directly goes into their retail storefront to defray operating costs.


David G

            PCBUILD maintains many useful files for download
              on our web site - visit our download page at:
                     http://nospin.com/pc/files.html