TidBITS : Oldies but Goodies

25 Apr 1994 | Print

Oldies but Goodies

Apple's warehouses have long been filled to the rafters with potentially useful, but unwanted, obsolete equipment. This practice kept good hardware out of the hands of potential purchasers and proved to be a tremendous waste of expensive storage space. A few months ago, Apple began unloading some of this equipment at bargain-basement prices to its dealer channel, much the way Apple unloaded the PowerBook 100s unloaded shortly after discontinuing them in 1992.

By selling warehoused equipment at bargain-basement prices, Apple quickly disposed of the thousands upon thousands of original DuoDocks. The DuoDocks have never been big sellers; many Duo purchasers just wanted the small PowerBooks without the massive desktop docking stations. The "Vintage Program" also unloaded older Mac II and Quadra models, as well as a variety of LaserWriters and other peripherals.

Although Apple had intended the sale to be a one-time occurrence, the company apparently decided not to argue with success. Not only have they cleared an extraordinary amount of warehouse space, they've also brought in quite a bit of money for equipment that was simply gathering dust (in some cases, for years). So, Apple is now sending monthly updates to its dealers offering specific items on a first-come, first-served basis.

The April list included Macintosh IIvx models, a Centris 610 with CD-ROM drive, and the Macintosh TV, Apple's all-in-one Mac with a built-in TV tuner. (Apple marketed the Macintosh TV in the U.S. only through the educational channel, and aimed it at students who didn't have enough dorm-room space for both a computer and a television.) These items may already be sold out, but it's worth checking.

The latest list, for which orders will be accepted starting on 25-Apr-94, includes two Centris 660AV models (identical to the Quadra 660AV except for the name), one CD-equipped model each of the Quadra 610 and 650, and the LaserWriter Select 310.

These items may only be ordered by dealers, and the program may only exist within the United States. If you're interested in any of these items at some excellent prices, contact your favorite dealer. Keep in mind that quantities are limited, so don't dawdle. You may find that the item you want is already sold out.

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