13 Mar
2000
13 Mar
'00
5:45 a.m.
--- Aaron Christopher Finney <af-list(a)wfi-inc.com> wrote:
I just took a look at the netpliance website for some
details...
If you buy an i-opener online, you have a choice of monthly or fixed-term
service. If you go through the purchase procedure for monthly service,
it's $99 plus $39.95 shipping, with no mention of a minimum required
service length. I'd assume that it's the same at CC; you probably buy the
box there for $99 + tax without the internet service.
OK... here's the scoop... my local CC is backordered over a dozen units. I
put down a $20 deposit on one and it is supposed to arrive in two weeks. The
way the billing works is you pay $99 + tax for the unit and as soon as you
connect it to a phone line and give it the go-ahead, the unit connects with
the central office somewhere and you enter in credit card info and pick yout
billing plan. If you never connect it to a phone line with the default QNX
software, you never have to worry about signing up.
I expect this policy to change when they see hundreds if not thousands of
units sold with no service started on them. Until then, I've (almost) got
mine. Now all I need is a DE-620.
-ethan
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13 Mar
13 Mar
7:08 a.m.
OK... here's the scoop... my local CC is
backordered over a dozen units. I
put down a $20 deposit on one and it is supposed to arrive in two weeks. The
way the billing works is you pay $99 + tax for the unit and as soon as you
connect it to a phone line and give it the go-ahead, the unit connects with
the central office somewhere and you enter in credit card info and pick yout
billing plan. If you never connect it to a phone line with the default QNX
software, you never have to worry about signing up.
I expect this policy to change when they see hundreds if not thousands of
units sold with no service started on them. Until then, I've (almost) got
mine. Now all I need is a DE-620.
-ethan
I just got done running to CC myself, they had 8 units backordered. I put
down the $20 deposit on one, however, the sales people wouldn't even hazard
a guess as to when they'll be getting them. Oh, and mine will be exactly
$99, no sales tax in Oregon :^)
Now the question is, does anyone know how to wipe QNX off of them, and put
what you want on them? I've no idea what a SanDisk is. I'm assuming it's
something that's got to be done with a Windows PC. I basically just want
DOS, a PDP-11 emulator and an RL02 image with RT-11 on it. However, I'm
wondering if there is a way to also use it as a Serial terminal. If so I'd
have to squeeze TELIX on there as well. Do USB drivers for DOS exist?
Actually in the long run I'm probably best off putting a HD in it so I can
have several emulator images on the thing for different OS's.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
8 a.m.
>I expect this policy to change when they see
hundreds if not thousands of
>units sold with no service started on them. Until then, I've (almost) got
>mine. Now all I need is a DE-620.
>
>-ethan
Looking into this some, and I expect to see the purchase policy and if they
can afford to the hardware design change. There are people ordering 10 or
more of these suckers to convert them!
Here is some more web sites with info:
http://snoopy.net/mailman/listinfo/iopener <- mail list and archives
http://iopener.scizzors.net/ <- info, more pics, ideas for more uses
http://www.higuchi-clark.com/iopener/ <- links to more sites
BTW, I forgot to add on my last post that CC currently has *none* in their
warehouses.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
8:23 a.m.
At 02:00 PM 3/13/00 -0800, Zane H. Healy wrote:
Looking into this some, and I expect to see the
purchase policy and if they
can afford to the hardware design change. There are people ordering 10 or
more of these suckers to convert them!
Yes, it's clear their business model expected revenues from the
long-term monthly charge, and once their hardware has been
"slashdotted" they'll change their policies. For that matter,
until you have the unit in your hot little hands, they could
still change their policy and simply refund your deposit.
Meanwhile, this discussion is no more relevant than if you
were discussing squeezing a PDP emulator into the RAM or HD
of a $50 486 laptop: the PDP part is on-topic, the laptop isn't. :-)
- John
9051
days inactive
9051
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3 comments
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participants (3)
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ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com -
healyzh＠aracnet.com -
jfoust＠threedee.com