[Gllug] Off-topic: where to buy cheap fast 40gig Eide hard drives?

[Chris Bell]

On Tue 28 Aug, Anthony Leung wrote:
> hello gllug again,
> I've come to pick your collective brain again: can anyone recommend where I
> can get fast, cheap (<100 total) 40gb EIDE hdds? I went to the British
> Computer Fair last weekend but to be honest I thought pickings were a bit
> dry. Maybe I'm not going to the right places?
> Anthony
> 
   The problem is not usually in finding wholesale suppliers who can sell
drives or other hardware at low prices, but persuading them that they should
sell single items at that price. Computer hardware is expensive, and can
suffer huge changes in value instantly. Major wholesale companies can buy at
good prices by the boatload, but the total outlay is huge. Intermediate
dealers may be able to buy pallet loads for a reasonable price, but they
still need to sell them before they lose value, and prefer to supply
sensible quantities to small traders.
   Each link in the chain relies on the others to survive, and so is
reluctant to bypass the chain. It can take as long to sell a single item to
a customer as a large order for a local trader, and it is sometimes only
cost-effective if there are restrictions on the minimum annual trade
accounts. I have done freelance work for a small local company, so I am not
completely unknown around the local distributors, but I can still be charged
a higher price or told to go to a retail outlet because I do not purchase
enough.

-- 
Chris Bell


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