Curtis Johnson wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

RJT> This newsletter is primarily financially-oriented,  but I thought
RJT> that this particular issue might be of interest to folks in here
RJT> anyway... 
RJT> * Forwarded (from: netmail) by Roy J. Tellason using timEd 1.10.y2k.
RJT> Gary North's REALITY CHECK

CJ>    Interesting fellow, Gary North.  IIRC, he's what's called a
CJ> Christian Reconstructionist:  i.e., wants a genuine theocracy for
CJ> the country and is related by blood to the founder of the movement.

Oh really?  I have seen the occasional religious reference in those
newsletters,  but haven't really gotten that out of it.

CJ> Which may have nothing to do with specifics of financial advice and
CJ> company assessment except where that framework might distort his 
CJ> views.  However, he was one of the *big* drummers for Y2K going to  
CJ> be the end of civilization, which doesn't give one great confidence 
CJ> in his assessment of the computer industry.

I don't recall whether or not I was getting those back then.

RJT> MICHAEL DELL VS. THE RED SCREEN OF DEATH: GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE

RJT> No small business needs a computer that costs more than $1,200, with
RJT> bells and whistles installed.  The price spread has disappeared.  The
RJT> free market has done its work. It has turned a unique tool into a
RJT> common commodity, priced accordingly: cheap.  There is nothing special
RJT> about a desktop computer any more, unless it doesn't work properly. 

CJ>    This is hardly news.

RJT> He tried to get the unit to work.  He spent hours.  He told me that
RJT> the blue-screen problem is a familiar affliction of Windows.  It's
RJT> called the blue screen of death.  It is so common that it has an
RJT> acronym: BSOD.  I searched Google for "blue screen of death."  Here
RJT> are a couple of reports.  This one is old. 

CJ>    So, Gary North didn't know what the BSOD was, and now all of a
CJ> sudden he's an expert on the computer industry???  ROTFL.  This
CJ> makes his Y2K doomsday scenarioing even funnier.

Part of it was about the BSOD issue,  but I think primarily the focus there
(and on the subsequent one on that same subject) was on how the company
deals with problems.  I don't personally want to buy a computer and find
out that tech help is going to be in India,  with people whose english
skills are difficult at best and whose conversations are script-driven.

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