Re: Micron Millennia Transport P133 review

[Sandy Meltzer <sandy@surf.com>]

At 12:23 PM 3/26/96 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 96-03-26 07:36:46 EST, dewar@gnat.com (Robert Dewar)
>writes:
>
>>Is the Micron Millenium machine actually available? Just because 
>>PC magazine got one to review does not mean that it is! Certainly 
>>I can't buy it in any stores here in NYC.
>
>From the comp.sys.laptops newsgroups I've been reading, it seems like 
>the Micron machines are on a 8+ week backorder. Especially since it 
>hasn't been long since Intel released the TCP of the 2.9V P5-133 and
>supplies seem to be limited on the Mobile Triton chipset, I think 
>there's a higher chance of getting a Thinkpad than the Millennia sooner.
>
>-Mark

Based on present and past IBM delivery performance, if the Micron
machines are on a 8+ week backorder, then it will be 10-20 weeks
before we see the new IBM 760ED ThinkPad. Wanna bet?  I say mid-June
the earliest and NOT in quantity...just a few units spread out
over a bunch of IBM resellers.  Quantity?  I'd bet August...
just in time for release of the "next generation".  :-(

So, I'll spend $8,000 for a 760ED in mid-August that will drop to
$5500 by October 1st on the heels of IBM's next generation announcement
of ThinkPads that we won't see until next Spring.

Although there might be isolated cases of big city resellers or small
vendors having a few 760CD-120s here or there for sale, IBM has not been
shipping ANY ThinkPads to their larger distributors.  I buy most of my
ThinkPads through CDW (Computer Discount Warehouse) in Chicago because of
their reasonable prices and excellent support and they are a large IBM
reseller.  Their IBM rep told them that IBM stopped production of 760
ThinkPads in February and won't start shipping again until at least the
first week of April.

I'm sure that Intel's release of the P5-133 in the TCP package and the
Mobile Triton chipset in limited quantities definitely has an effect on
IBM's ThinkPad production, but there seems to be other shortages (or
production problems) here they're not talking about.

On the other hand, having worked for large computer manufacturers here 
in Silicon Valley for many years, I understand how difficult it is for
a computer manufacturer to design and build these sophisticated machines
while technology continues to change so quickly.  By the time it takes 
for them to "tool up", buy components, and produce machines in quantity,
the technology is already "old".  Obviously, very frustrating for them 
too.  Remember when it took at least 24 months to bring a new product 
from design to production?  Probably closer to six months now...no
wonder manufacturers in this industry seem to disappear so quickly.

I guess I'm just a spoiled consumer..."I want it, and I want it NOW!".


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