-> That may be true in the over-the-counter market but not in the medical
-> industry (I think we share some experience there in the past); where it
-> is the high cost of knowledgeable people fixers has worked a major work
-> around by some hardwear suppliers.

-> As in the instance of GE Medical Systems where they setup a major off
-> site test facility in St Louis, Missouri; to which hospitals can dial
-> up to have malfunctioning x-ray equipment diagnosed so that a needed
-> replacement part can air-fedex to the hospital for their in house
-> maintenance staff replace the defective item and have the equipment
-> back on-line in less that 24 hours many times. (We still maintain a
-> service department that can take care of the needs of small hospitals
-> that don't maintain an in-house staff trained to facilitate this.)

-> Incidentally the new CEO of GE Corporation was Group Vice President
-> of GE Medical Systems before Jack Welch retired. His Dad had worked
-> for 34 years for GE before he retired. GE stock market price increased
-> $0.69 to $36.67 per share today, after they increased the quarterly
-> devidend 2 cents per share.

-> There are some positive things left in our world!

 You are correct on both points. After I retired from the local VA
medical Center I did work as a Temporary(Read that NO frindge benifits
except working for a Wonderful Company) for Hewlett Packard Medical
Division out of the San Diego California Office. The biggest reason I
left is becasue they Combined the San Diego County odffice and the
Orange County Office and I decided I didn't want al lthat Travel. After
All I was a Double Dipper(Military and Civil Service Retiree) and
Retorement would NO longer be fun. And I Thought Installing Surgical and
Medical Intensive equipment and repairing it WAS fun.

The Medical Electronics Vendors is a Hold Out in Providing a Full stock
of Spare Parts and "REAL" Technical Help for the reasons you aluded to..
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