BG> Funky stuff like efficiency or good management perhaps?  Just because they 
BG> make a decent profit, the company is not automatically guilty of gouging.

PE> No, the $750 price tag is the evidence of that.

I tell a lie, ie see it is advertised for $735 in "Computer Market".

BG> Using local prices in patently unfair, Paul.  

Bill, that is the ONLY FAIR price to use.  Not what you get if you
trade in your modem, break the law, avoid the customs officials, 
and then say "stuff it all" and break into Dave Hatch's home.

BG> Although its RRP is A$799, 

And a street price of $735.

BG> anybody who pays more than $650 for one is a complete fuckwit.

I can't even get it SYSOP for less than $675 in Sydney.

BG> Now consider the US street price of around US$349, then tell me who's doing 
BG> the gouging.  

You have to pay a surcharge for Austel-approval.  Yum Cha et al, 
also have that same surcharge.  When you add the surcharge onto
both the Yum Cha and the USR, you find that the Yum Cha comes out
$500 cheaper than the USR, coming in at a mere 1/3 of the price.

BG> You forget also that the Taiwanese are merely assembling 
BG> Rockwell chipsets onto generic boards, with absolutely no R&D costs 
BG> whatsoever.  Is it any wonder that they can sell those so cheaply then?

I didn't forget that, any more than I remembered that I'm after a
V.34 faxmodem, not a really good reason why I should be making
shareholders in USR rich.  BFN.  Paul.
@EOT:

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