Shoddy Hardware (Was: Re: WW fixtures (was Re: "New" PDP-8)) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

2 Apr 2002

...
  But surely you have hardware shops that sell screws? 

Yes, but they require cash or credit... promises don't fly.

...
   in the U.S.
Midwest for an office supply firm. The scene is
 set in a "typical" office... some shirts are having a meeting,
 when another shirt comes in and asks if "can we use the pen"?

 THE pen. The only pen in the office.  
 Are you sure this is not some 3rd world country???? 
It often feels that way... 

Many firms have company credit cards. I think we grossed
US$8M last year, and no such plastic exists in this firm,

The 25 Dells that were bought? We have one employee who
*loves* those points, rebates, and skymiles from large
purchases. Then, he submits them for reimbursment.

Yours Truly lives paycheck to paycheck and is running
a monthly $100 deficit, that only the end-of-year bonus
finally clears up. So, it's rare that I can purchase a
needed item. I'm supposed to requisition it. Anything
I buy that I don't get approved, I risk not being
reimbursed.

...
   When I need a
screw for a PC, I typically have to find a PC
 from which to remove a screw. Everything ends up with half
 the screws it was designed to use.  
 Now many of my computers don't have any casing screws, but that's not 
 because I needed them for something else. It's because I want to be able 
 to work inside the machine. 
Well, yes, I have lots of those... my EPROM burner is a 
board in a 486 that lives sans-a-case...

-dq