CD-ROM offer [ details on implementation ]

[Tom Glinos]

>I don't know anything about the fees that will be charged for CDROM
>software updates, except that they are supposed to be less than
>for tape.

CD-ROM $20/month, CD-ROM&Drive $60/month, Tape $60/month

>Upgrading CPU proms has 2 main problems, of which the first is probably
>the most significant to the engineering community, and the second to
>the bean counters:

>1) creating AND testing new proms for every machine and configuration
>   out there would be a huge engineering job, and one that no one
>   wants to do (we would rather give you new features on existing
>   machines, and new machines).

This means adding code to already existing proms. I don't see it as
all that difficult if there is space in the proms. You did leave
extra space in the proms, didn't you :-)

>2) changing cpu proms would require an FE for many sites (not all).
>   Any time you open up a machine and take out the boards, you tend
>   to expose problems that were lurking (heat stress, oxidized connectors,
>   etc., etc., and then you are looking at downtime for the customer

Only if the design and manufacture is questionable.
The machine has to go down anyway to install the drive.

>   and even more expense.  someone has to pay for it, either directly,
>   or indirectly in higher costs on future products.

Err, umm... that's what maintenance contracts are for!
To pay for hardware and software upgrades.

Correct me if I'm wrong. But after a year I've paid $720 for a drive I
probably can't use anywhere else. A set of proms, I'm sure, costs far, less.

Call me cynical, but the charging structure above suggests that SGI
stands to make a fair bit of money on this program.