Evan writes:

> then Birket responded:
>
>  >I wonder if HP even needs to respond to this pricing - the total cost of
>  >ownership is the issue ... NOT the price.
>
>  I know that cost of ownership is the issue; but it has generally been my
>  experience that management *doesn't* know that.

Absolutely correct. No matter how sophisticated the buyer, or how much
promise a particular piece of hardware or software may offer if it were fully
utilized, initial entry price is an overwhelmingly important quality
nowadays. No one wants to spend more money than they have to -- and buying
cheap and being greatly disappointed later on down the road seems to be as
hard a habit to break as someone getting remarried four or five times. Both
are irrepressible expressions of hope over experience.

Wirt Atmar