BV> That might be a bit rich nowadays. In all honesty I can't see why he
BV> didn't look at the Banksia MyFastModem V.34, which is a bargain and
PE> I did look at it.  It was actually the one I wanted to buy, but
PE> the sysop price was high at the time, and I was being warned off
PE> it, and I had an ISP telling me that he had trialled all the
PE> modems, and the M34F was the best.

BV> ROFL...You crack me up Paul. You don't think twice about spending
BV> megabucks on a Beomaster sound system 

Like hell I don't.  I bought a set of headphones from them, and then
10 years (or something) later, I still haven't come within cooee of
buying a sound-system from them, and then they come out with a portable
for $3,000, which I do buy.

BV> or getting your roof re-lined,

Two things:
1. That money isn't lost, it has increased the value of the property.
It is an investment.
2. It was only meant to have cost $3,000 originally.

BV> but you chintz out on computer gear.

I spend about $2,500 EVERY YEAR on computer equipment, not just
once-off like the above.  I paid $2,000 for ONE FUCKING HARD DISK.

Quite apart from the fact that I don't think it's of any concern
of yours whether I choose to buy 60ns RAM for $237 instead of $700.

BV> Do you really think it is all the same ? 

Yes, I think the RAM is RAM, I think the Quantum hard disks are 
Quantum hard disks.

BV> Do you really think that you
BV> are being cheated because brand or supplier X costs a few dollars more
BV> than brand or supplier Y ?

Like I say, I got prices on RAM ranging from $237 to $700.  If you
want to pay 3 times the price for RAM, that is your choice.  And
it's mine to not.

BV> Has it ever occurred to you that there might be a little item known as
BV> "quality" which could have a slight impact on the cost ?

Has it ever occurred to you that there is a little thing called
"ripoffs" that make identical RAM vary in price?

BV> Has you ever stopped to wonder why a 17" Goldstar monitor costs $ 1,257
BV> whereas a 17" Mitsubishi monitor costs $ 1,511 ?

I don't buy either, I buy a $300 (or something) one.

BV> I'll let you in on a little secret. The Mitubishi is *heaps* better.

Thanks.  Pity I wasn't actually after advice on that though.
Strange that you never offer advice on what I really want advice
on.  Oh, you did, the modem.  Funny how that was AFTER I had 
shelled out the money already.

PE> You sure weren't telling me how good the Banksia was at the time,
PE> so I played the odds.  And lost.

BV> I wasn't telling you because I didn't hear you ask. 

I asked for advice on modems before I bought my modem.  If you 
choose not to answer, don't blame me if I end up with one you
don't like.

BV> Besides, I
BV> really didn't want to get caught up in your pedantic little games.

Yeah, I know about you and your "help", Brenton.

PE> Well, maybe lost, anyway.  We don't know how the Banksia performs
PE> under proper testing.

BV> ROFL...What...You mean the PE find-a-fault method of testing ?

PE live-testing, yes.  Sorry if real-life testing is not your
preferred method of testing.

PE> We know it has trouble talking to Viper's in adaptive answer though.

BV> Well, that says it all. The Banksia has gotta be crap then. Hasn't it.

It's got one problem, before I've even bought it, yes.  BFN.  Paul.
@EOT:

---