From: Jane Loyless (jloyless_at_netbox.com)
Date: Wed Aug 04 1999 - 13:32:46 EDT
>Date: Sat, 03 Jan 1998 16:29:12 -0800
>To: "Geovanny M. Ortiz" <o-n-a_at_shadow.net>
>From: Randal Whittle <rwhittle_at_usa.net>
>Subject: Re: Upgraded 701C Benchmark Results
>Cc: "TP List" <tp750_at_cs.utk.edu>
>Comment: to {un}subscribe, send mail to thinkpad-REQUEST_at_cs.utk.edu
>
>At 06:49 PM 12/31/97 -0500, Geovanny M. Ortiz wrote:
>>All these numbers are too technical for me. My question is: Is it worth
>>the money for the upgrade?
>
> Well, this is difficult for me to answer. I had wanted to just let the
>numbers speak for themselves and not render an opinion, but if forced, I'll
>editorialize a bit.
>
> In a nutshell, I don't think so--at least for me.
>
> I had a 486-75 MHz, so this upgrade boosted it to something about the same
>as a 486-100 MHz. Overall speed increase in typical applications...I'd say
>about 20%.
>
> For me, that's just not significant enough. For me, I require at *least*
>a 75% speed increase--preferably a 100% increase (at or near doubling)
>before I think its worth considering an upgrade. For me, in laptops I went
>from a Sharp 386SX-20, to a ThinkPad 750 (486SL-33), to a TP 701
>(486-75--but I have to say that the smaller form factor of the 701 made the
>less-than-stellar performance increase less of an important factor), to
>finally a TP 560 (Pentium 120). In every case, that was a speed increase
>of about 2x or better (a little less in the case of the 701 acquisition
>over the 750). That's just something I require before I spend money on a
>new machine.
>
> Now an upgrade may be something different for you than it is for me. I
>always very much liked the 701--so much so that I rather missed it when I
>moved to a 560 (I gave the 701 to my wife, so it was still around), but I
>got over it without too much pain. For you, your 701 may be so near and
>dear to you that you can't imagine leaving it for another computer. ;-)
>If so, by all means--consider whether a 20% increase in speed is worth it
>to you to pay for the upgrade (or maybe even a greater increase--keep in
>mind I was upgrading a 486-75--many of you hav 486-50's out there that
>would see a considerably greater speed increase of 40% to 50% instead of my
>mere 20%).
>
> So would I have paid for this upgrade? No--not unless the price was
>somewhat nominal. 20% speed increase just doesn't do it for me. I barely
>notice it the difference.
>
> But that doesn't mean it isn't it worth it to you or to someone else that
>has different things that are important to them. For me, I've grown to
>really like my 560. Its thinner form factor has actually become preferable
>to me over the 701's smaller, but thicker form factor. I no longer pine
>for my 701. But for those of you who can't get over that, by all
>means--this upgrade is one way in which you might be able to justify
>stretching another year or two of use out of it.
>
>
>One final note:
>
> PEP appears to be a very different outfit than they were a year or two ago
>when they annoyed us all with their blatant advertising on the list. Their
>new salesman, Leonard, has been most helpful in allowing us to do this and
>upgrading my machine free of charge so I could do the benchmarks and report
>to the list about the results.
>
> And when this question about "OK, cut through the numbers crap--was the
>upgrade worth it?" was posed, my first reaction was, "Well, I don't want to
>bias the results with my opinion--just let the numbers speak for
>themselves." I wrote Leonard and told him what my truthful opinion
>was--which you see in my note above. I didn't want to convey that to the
>list because it seemed ungrateful to all they had given us to do this.
>Leonard's reaction? "Tell them the truth."
>
> Now if you ask me, that's integrity--because he knew the truth was less
>than flattering to their upgrade product. The previous sales guy who used
>to infect our TP list used to tout claims of "Pentium-level performance"
>(and we now know that claim is a pile of manure).
>
> If that integrity is any indication of how things have changed at PEP, I'd
>have to re-think my prior negative impression of them. No agenda--just
>honesty. I was surprised and relieved because I really felt a conflict in
>providing these results. I was determined to remain unbiased and
>honest--and I was. the numbers you see in the benchmarks are the
>gosh-awful truth and are not monkeyed with.
>
> My personal opinion was that this upgrade was no big improvement. But
>having said that, I think you should examine the performance difference and
>see if its worth it to *you*, rather than simply echoing what I had to say.
>
>
>-------
>Randal J. Whittle whittle_at_usc.edu (213) 740-7775
>Director, Electronic Commerce Program
>Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California
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