Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    
    The salesman in General Computer Stores in Framingham told me that
    they are running a special better than the $1295 deal of Commodore's
    in May.  You might want to give them a call.  They have a decent
    selection of software too (and the full set of Addison-Wesley manuals).
    Don't be afraid to haggle with these guys.  When I bought mine at
    Best Business Machines in Worcester all of the dealers except
    Computerland were willing to come down in order to get my business.
    
    Good Luck,
    
    Steve McAfee

     There was an ad in the Sunday July 20th Boston Globe from "Computer
    Factory" or something like that name in  the Boston area offering
    the Amiga for $998 including the color monitor!!!..Grab it if it's
    for real!!
    

    I have had good luck at the Computer Mart, on Main street in Nashua.
    I got my Sony monitor there, and they have the Amiga in stock. 
    Their prices seem rather high, but perhaps you can bargain.
        John Sauter

    Put my vote in for ComputerMart in Nashua/Manchester.  They will
    deal if pressured.  They seem to know what they are talking about
    and will get information for you if they don't know.
    
    Instant Software now carries the Amiga.  I have no idea what their
    prices are though.
    
    If you do get the Sony monitor, don't get a ribbon cable.  Your
    neighbors will kill you when they see your screen display coming
    up on their tv's.
    
    Randy
    

    If you can stand the Amiga monitor, 47th Street Photo advertised
    the Amiga in this Sunday's New York Times for $950 (computer and
    monitor).  The ad said Amiga $550 w/purchase of monitor for $399.
    

    The Electronics Emporium at the Pheasant Lane Mall sells Amigas.
    I didn't catch a price, but they did have them on display along
    with the 128's and Atari ST's.
    
    Instant Software in Acton has started carrying the Amiga as well.
    However their price is several hundred dollars above many of the
    other outlets.
    
    Paul
    
    P.S. The Amiga I saw at Instant Software seemed to be suffering
    some serious system cabinet sag from the weight of the monitor atop
    it.

    Last week's 47th Street Photo ad in the Sunday NY Times had the
    Amiga for $550 with purchase of color monitor for $400.  Total:
    $950.   This week, it's $499 with monitor for $400!  Total:  $900.
    Let's see, if this keeps up, it will be free in 18 more weeks! :-)
    

re .7

	Is it reasonable to buy a monitor mail order?  (Do they ship well?  
Are shipping costs excessive?)  Or is this a deal you have to drive to NY for?

	Paul

    47th Street Photo is one of the largest mail order outlets going.      
     I wouldn't trust a lot of the places that advertise in the Times,
    but I would trust them.  They are well known.  Shipping costs are 
    reasonable as far as I know-- I have ordered some small items from 
    them myself, but never anything really expensive.
    
    I wouldn't worry about mail-ordering a monitor.  If it's packaged
    well enough to make it here from Japan or Korea or whatever in one
    piece, it will probably be able to survive UPS.

I called GO-AMIGA last night for a price.  They quoted me $1399 (plus $20 
shipping) for:
	1000 - AMIGA SYSTEM
	1080 - MONITOR
	1010 - EXPANSION DRIVE
	???? - 256k MEMORY EXPANSION

A couple of weeks ago I also got a price from General Computer Stores in 
Framingham of $1495 (plus tax) for:
	1000 
	1080
	256k memory
	color printer
	Textcraft
	Graphicraft(sp?)

If I assume that an expansion drive is worth $300 (I think I have heard this 
price somewhere), the color printer is worth $200 (a guess), and that the 
software is worth $150 (another guess), then the net price (before tax and 
shipping) of the system, monitor, and extra memory is (respectively):
$1100 and $1150.  After including tax and shipping, GO-AMIGA is roughly $100 
cheaper.  This isn't a huge difference, though I want all the stuff in the 
GO-AMIGA system and not all the stuff in the other.

Taking the derived GO-AMIGA price of $1100 and subtracting their published 
price (rounded) of $90 for the expansion memory, I come up with $1010 for the 
basic system and monitor, which is about $100 more than the best price I have 
heard.

Does GO-AMIGA bargain?  It looks like it should be possible to get another 
$100 off their price.

	Paul

P.S.  Both the above prices were "specials", for what its worth.  I think that
      may mean the price will be lower when the special is over.

    The Commodore 256K memory expansion lists for $195.  Textcraft and
    Graphicraft are more likely worth $75 than $150, and you probably
    want Dpaint and some other word processor instead.  If the color
    printer is an Okimate-20, that's worth $200.  The external drive
    lists for $295 but can often be had for $250 or less.

    len.
    

re: .9 (47th st photo):

I have no personal experience, but the Photo notes file is very down on them.
(See 346.* there).  All kinds of billing problems, no ships, bait and switch, 
etc.  They were even prosecuted for forging manuals and warrantees for grey 
market cameras.  I don't think I would try them.

	Paul

RE: .10

I ordered the system as I described it from GO-AMIGA on the night of Aug 27.
It arrived yesterday on the date promised.  So far everything seems to work, 
so I am quite pleased.  There were only two questionable things:

The expansion memory was from MicroBotics, not Commodore.  I didn't think to 
specify this on the order.  Does it matter?  It seems to work.

I ordered ZORK-I from them and they substituted ZORK-II, claiming ZORK-I was 
very hard to get, but said I could send it back and try again if I wanted to.
I think I will keep ZORK-II, though I wonder if the kids will be successful 
with it (or me for that matter).

All in all I am quite satisfied so far.

	Paul