Unix box for $10 a month! Is this a scam?

[Scott Boake]

I recently received the following in the mail.  I have NO connection with
any of the people affiliated with this group.  I don't know any more about
it that I have in this letter.  I'm just posting it to see what comments
other USENETers have about it.


---------------------COPY OF A LETTER RECEIVED VIA US MAIL---------------------

                    TO ALL CONCERNED:

    With the letter comes an invitation to join the first
computer group of its kind.  Introducing a national user's group,
committed to bringing you what no other group as offered before.

    The Mega-Users' Group is currently campaigning to increase
its membership to 100,000.  With this kind of unity will come a
very special buying power - a power that will entitle you, as a
member, to the following:  one of the most powerful openframe
computer systems available, with a 68020 CPU card or a 80386 CPU
card - a powerful, multi-user system, supporting UNIX or XENIX on
your choice of Multibus or S-100.

    Your membership fee of $10 per month covers the entire
system as follows:

- one Motorola 68020 CPU or Intel 80386 CPU, running at 12 Mhz
- one megabye of D-RAM expandable to 8 meg. on the card
- one floppy disk contoller capable of controlling 4 8" drives
and 4 5 1/4" drives
- one I/O card with 8 serial ports and 2 parallel
- one 300-watt power supply
- one 5 1/4" floppy drive and one 8" floppy drive
- for S-100 users: choice of 10 or 20 slot backplane
- for Multibus users: choice of 4 or 11 slot backplane

    These systems will be complete and ready to run.  Your
choice of desktop or rack-mount enclosure.

    The above is simply your basic system, yours for having the
foresight to join the Mega-Users' Group now, before membership is
closed at the 100,000 mark.  That's right - this offer is limited
to the first 100,000 members to join.

    The only membership requirement is that you remain a member
through the time your system is shipped to you.  Our analysts
project that we will reach our base of 100,000 members in 4-6
months.  But once you've received your system, it's likely that
you will choose to remain a member indefinitely, as each month
will bring an additional piece of hardware or a software kit.
Offerings such as: additional memory cards, color graphics cards,
clock cards - and much more.  All included in your $10/month
membership fee.

    While you await shipment of your system, The Mega-Users'
Group will send you its monthly newsletter.  Each issue will
update you on the membership drive.  Also included will be
software listings - over 300,000 public domain software titles
will be available to you, as a member, at no charge.  Our
in-house engineers are working on a program that will emulate
CP/M and MS-DOS at blinding speeds - and be graphic compatible,
also.

    Soon, our members will be able to tie into a mainframe
computer, complete with one hundred phone lines.  It will house
the majority of our public-domain software, and allow our members
a way to interact with each other, as there is not connect fee,
hourly fee, or limitation on connect time.  Users can stay on as
long as they wish - for free.

    The Mega-Users' Group is an idea whose time has come.  With
your support, we intend to revolutionize the computer-buying
industry.  Power in numbers will allow us to send you a Multibus
or S-100 system at no real cost to you: your $10 monthly
membership fee is all-inclusive.

    Shock-waves have begun to travel throughout the industry
regarding this ooffer.  The reality is that computer boards can be
produced cheaply in quantity.  Until now, no one has passed the
savings on to you, the user.

    We have invested over $20,000 in the initial phase, just to
bring this concept to you now.

    We urge you to join the Mega-Users' Group today.  Those who
join first will take early shipment of their systems - it is a
first-come, first-served basis.

    Remember: the sooner your membership reaches the 100,000
mark, the better for you.  Therefore, we encourage you to
circulate news of the Mega-Users' Group to all those interested
in owning an S-100 or Multibus system for a small monthly fee.
You may distribute your own copies of this letter and the
enrollment form, for purposes of building the membership of the
Mega-Users' Group to 100,000.  Or contact us for additional
copies.

    The time for this idea is now.  Call us directly for more
details.  But please, don't hesitate.  We'd hate to inform you
that our membership had reached 100,000 without you.

    We encourage all users' group presidents and other
interested parties to call us at (203) 634 - 4593, 9AM to 5PM
Eastern, Monday thru Friday.

**Motorola is a trademark of Motorola Semi-conductor Products,
Inc.
**Intel is a trademark of Intel Corp.
**Unix is a trademark of Bell Laboratories

                    ENROLLMENT FORM

    Yes - I want to join the Mega-Users' Group.  Enclosed please
find my check of money order in the amount of $__________, for
_______month(s) membership.  I understand that as the membership
reaches 100,000, I will receive my choice of the Multibus or
S-100 system describem above.

    Check desired system:    S-100 - please specify 10 or 20
slot backplane.  __ten-slot     __20-slot

    Check desired system:    Multibus - please specity 4 or 11
slot backplane.  __4-slot       __11-slot

    Specify rack-mount or desk-top enclosure:  __rack  __desk-
top

PLEASE PRINT

    NAME ___________________________________
    ADDRESS ________________________________
    CITY,STATE,ZIP__________________________
    PHONE__________________
    INITIAL________________

SEND TO:
    The Mega-Users' Group
    P.O. Box 4213
    Yalesville Station, CT 06492



---------------------COPY OF A LETTER RECEIVED VIA US MAIL---------------------

As I said before, I'm not connected in anyway to this group.  I would just like
to get some feed back from people about this deal.  If you decide to call them
post a message as to what you find out.


Scott Boake                                           Small Systems Consulting
(813) 544 - 8152                                      Suite A
                                                      4669 - 73rd Ave North
..!akgua!usfvax2!jc3b21!boake2!scott                  Pinellas Park, FL 33565
- or -
..!akgua!akguc!codas!peora!ucf-cs!usfvax2!jc3b21!boake2!scott