$ value of used Symbolics

[Paul Pangaro <pan%athena.pangaro.dialnet.symbolics.com@RELAY.CS.NET>]

    Date: Fri, 6 Oct 89 10:00:38 CDT
    From:     dkirsche@shamash.cdc.com (Dan Kirschen - PLYOPS)

The following are notations and estimates based on what I know to have
been going on in the marketplace, and of course are highly subjective.
Things I dont know anything about I have left uncommented. Prices do
fluctuate more than you would think (memory has gotten more precious
lately, for example), and like any second hand market is subject to
bargaining and haggling like crazy.

I hope that others also comment "blind" (without prejudice to
what I have said below) and we can see where we think all this sits.

    Does anybody have an idea of how to estimate the value of the following used
    Symbolics machines:
       3650 with two 380 MB drives, FPA, 2MW memory card
       3650 with one 368 MB drive     
       3675 with two 474 MB drives, CAD buffer, color monitor, FPA &lots of memory

Lots of disk, CAD/color and memory, juicy. But these old beasts are a
real pain to move, power and maintain. The drives alone are worth, what,
$2000 - $2500 each? And how much is there memory? 2MW boards are
absurdly expensive under normal circumstances; I would myself pay $2000
- $2500 at most per 2MW board. 1MW boards should be more like $1000.
.5MW boards should be free (just kidding). CAD buffers with monitors are
probably worth, what, $8K? No, maybe a little too much. The fact that it
is a '75 (with IFU therefore) and FPA means the box itself is worth a
little something. Mind you I have seen 3600's sell for $2000; a '75
maybe is worth twice that?

Add it all up.... that's too much. The bundled price feels more like
$15K, really.

       3620 with two 368 MB drives, FPA, 2MW memory

Two big drives, good memory, FPA; nice. For myself, I would pay $10K.
Could fetch $15, that would be a very good price for the seller.

Remember of course that if the machine is to be put into service (rather
than used for spares) that technically the buyer has to be concerned
with the cost of software transfer fees paid to Symbolics.

       Thanks

       Daniel


Best,
PANgaro