Quality Computers Replies

[samp@pro-gallup.cts.com (Sam Pemberton - Sys Admin)]

I forwarded a couple of messages from comp.sys.apple2 to
jerry@pro-quality.cts.com (Jerry Kindall).

Here are his replies:

=================beginning of included message=======================

Thanks for forwarding those messages to me.  We don't get c.s.a2 here.

If you would be so kind as to post these responses for me (or forward to me
the address for replies to c.s.a2 so I can post them myself), I'd
appreciate it!  Here goes...


> Is there a hard drive for the Apple IIc?

I don't believe there still is.  For a while, we carried Sequential
System's hard drive (formerly Chinook's, but then Chinook got bought by
Sequential), but I BELIEVE (am not positive) they either discontinued it or
could not get the interface card to work with the new Quantum drives.  I
don't have Sequential's phone number handy, but perhaps someone on the net
does; you might want to call them directly and ask them.

> Why don't we do more international stuff?

It's expensive and very difficult.  Not as bad as it used to be because our
order-processing system now DOES support foreign addresses very well (our
old one was TERRIBLE for that).  E-mail or fax orders ARE accepted with
payment in U.S. funds (or a credit card).  We have many foreign customers
who have been ordering from us for years, and will be happy to help any new
ones.  (I suspect Robert Sheehan's fax and/or email went to the wrong
person and never got to the right one.  Try writing to me, Jerry Kindall,
jerry@pro-quality.cts.com and if I can't help I'll forward your letter to
someone who can.)

> Why do we insist on airmail (or DHL, etc.) shipping?

Surface shipping is slow.  Not only that, they have a tendency to lose
packages way too frequently, and when a package is lost outside the U.S.,
there is virtually no hope of getting it back.  Furthermore, the U.S.
postal service blames the foreign postal service and the foreign postal
service points the finger at the U.S. postal service.  We may have to wait
up to 90 days just for the USPS to admit that they lost the package!  The
big slowdown is usually customs, where surface-mail packages just sit and
sit and often simply disappear after a while.  Compare this to a service
like DHL, which has their own customs facilities, and you will notice a
tremendous difference!  Not only do the packages get to their destination
much faster, but they don't lose the packages!  We have recently struck a
deal with DHL which should allow us to ship light packages at much lower
rates, which should make many of you happy.

In short, surface shipping is a giant headache for us and, generally, for
our customers.

> Why is airmail (or DHL, etc.) so expensive?

Because it is.  Our order processing computers have the exact weights of
everything we sell, along with the rates charged by the various shipping
companies.  Before we had this capability, we used to seriously
underestimate the costs of international air shipping and, as a result, we
lost money on nearly every international air order.  Obviously, if that is
going to happen we can't ship anything by international air, so we now make
sure our shipping charges are accurate.  If you have had experience
with other companies that ship via air at much lower rates, either they are
getting much better rates from DHL et. al. than we are (not likely <g>) or
they are, without knowing it, losing money on your order.

> How can I reach QC electronically?

By email: jerry@pro-quality.cts.com (or tech@pro-quality.cts.com for our
tech support department).

GEnie Mail: QC
America Online: QualityCom (real useful for you foreign folk I know <g>)
CompuServe: We have an account but I have no idea what the number is <g>

Best way to reach us: either via internet or via GEnie.  (Starting July 1
GEnie will be Internet-accessible for all its subscribers so if mail to
pro-quality bounces you can try QC@genie.geis.com, I believe.)

~~~~~
Jerry Kindall @ Quality Computers, Inc.  "Opinions expressed are my own."
ProLine: jerry@pro-quality        Internet: jerry@pro-quality.cts.com
UUCP:    crash!pro-quality!jerry  ARPA:     crash!pro-quality!jerry@nosc.mil

=================end of included message===================================