RE: Getting around the firewire problem was Re: filmscanners:Best film scanner, period!!!

["LAURIE SOLOMON" <LAURIE@ADVANCENET.NET>]

Art,

I respectfully agree with you that different locations, due to differing tax
structures, distribution systems, shipping costs, currency rates, and the
like, may very well have differing prices on any given item ( and this is
without even bringing up the fact that most of the world does not have
access to or use digital equipment and information systems - let alone the
internet.  My point was that RAM prices around the world have recently
exhibited a significant decrease as compared to what they use to be.  That
decrease may very well be relative to what the earlier prices in that give
area were such that the prices that I quoted for my location in the US would
not be the going rate elsewhere.

My reference to www.champaigncomputer.com was intended to provide evidence
of the truth or accuracy of what I claimed to be the current price range
within which I had obtained RAM during the recent past as well as to provide
a guideline  as to the current US pricing which one can compare to their
location or to US prices for RAM a year ago. I also made explicit mention of
the fact that they had GOOD prices so that one would not take their listed
pricing as the average US mail order or web order pricing which may - and
often is - a little higher.

Given that this is an international list, I think that it would be difficult
to carry on any discussions if we restricted ourselves to only those areas
of pricing and law, socio-cultural practices, etc. that we all had in common
as a shared identical referent.  I think we do need in carrying on our
discussions to recognize the diversity by giving out information that allows
the reader to identify similarities and differences between the writer's
situation and the reader's circumstances, which is what I tried to do by
stating my sources, that I was speaking in terms of US dollars, that the
time frame was a few weeks ago, and that the source was one that typically
had better than usual pricing.  I assume that armed with this information
the reader can then go about making their own decisions, evaluations, and
judgments.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Arthur Entlich
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2001 7:24 PM
To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
Subject: Re: Getting around the firewire problem was Re:
filmscanners:Best film scanner, period!!!




LAURIE SOLOMON wrote:
>
> I just bought 256 MB Dimms for $47US each a few weeks ago and the prices
> went down since then.  Check out www.champaigncomputer.com for RAM, CPU
and
> other prices.  They typically have very good prices on most items.  Even
if
> you do not buy from them their prices can serve as a guideline.
>


I've made mention of this before, but it might bear repeating, the US,
as the most consumer oriented society in the world, has lower, sometimes
very substantially lower prices than elsewhere in the world.

I just heard a recent report that indicated that 95% of the world
population does not have access to the internet, and that over 80% have
never even heard of it (in many cases there isn't even a world for it
yet).  We need to keep in mind that tax structure, distribution systems,
manufacturing capabilities, demand and exchange rates vastly alter costs
for individuals throughout the world.

Prior to "free-trade" between the US and Canada, it was very worthwhile
to import items from the US, even after exchange, taxes, duties and
brokerage fees.  That was because distribution here was very poor due to
lowered demand.  Today, we get people from the US coming here on
vacation and buying high tech goods due to the very favorable exchange
rate for US dollars, which is causing manufacturers to eat their profits
just to sell up here to prevent killing the market they spent millions
developing.  Canada's population is a major consumer of consumer
electronics right now, so much so that Best Buys just bought out the
largest chain in Canada.  I don't know how much longer this can last
though, because with the current exchange value of our dollar, the
prices should be much higher than they are, and someone's got to be
unhappy with the lower markups up here.

Anyway, my main point is that France, if like much of Europe, would tend
to be more expensive for consumer electronics, so quoting US prices, or
even English or Australian ones, doesn't mean a whole lot.

Art