Shoddy Hardware (Was: Re: WW fixtures (was Re: "New" PDP-8))

From: Douglas H. Quebbeman <dquebbeman_at_acm.org>
Date: Tue Apr 2 21:21:42 2002

> But surely you have hardware shops that sell screws?

Yes, but they require cash or credit... promises don't fly.
 
> > in the U.S. Midwest for an office supply firm. The scene is
> > set in a "typical" office... some shirts are having a meeting,
> > when another shirt comes in and asks if "can we use the pen"?
> >
> > THE pen. The only pen in the office.
>
> Are you sure this is not some 3rd world country????

It often feels that way...

Many firms have company credit cards. I think we grossed
US$8M last year, and no such plastic exists in this firm,

The 25 Dells that were bought? We have one employee who
*loves* those points, rebates, and skymiles from large
purchases. Then, he submits them for reimbursment.

Yours Truly lives paycheck to paycheck and is running
a monthly $100 deficit, that only the end-of-year bonus
finally clears up. So, it's rare that I can purchase a
needed item. I'm supposed to requisition it. Anything
I buy that I don't get approved, I risk not being
reimbursed.
 
> > When I need a screw for a PC, I typically have to find a PC
> > from which to remove a screw. Everything ends up with half
> > the screws it was designed to use.
>
> Now many of my computers don't have any casing screws, but that's not
> because I needed them for something else. It's because I want to be able
> to work inside the machine.

Well, yes, I have lots of those... my EPROM burner is a
board in a 486 that lives sans-a-case...

-dq
Received on Tue Apr 02 2002 - 21:21:42 BST