Why is memory so expensive

On 19 Jun 2004 16:37:34 -0700, (Ron Hunter) wrote:

When will it be cheap again

Tuesday

Because you don't have enough money...

I remember paying $100 for eight 1 bit 64K chips (yes K not Meg)...

Piggy backed 'em in my TRS80 Coco.

Memory is CHEAP these days.

The first 1MB of memory I ever bought was for a DEC PDP-11/44 computer
system that I owned for a business that I used to have. It cost me $6,000
for the 1MB RAM card. Now, what is your complaint?

(We won't even mention that the 300MB drives cost me $25,000 each and each
one was the size of a dishwasher. G) Computers are SUCH a great bargain.
BTW, are you waiting for cars or houses to get "cheap again"? I just wish
other industries could emulate the price/performance of electronics.

"Ron Hunter" wrote in message
om...
When will it be cheap again

"kony" wrote in message
...
On 19 Jun 2004 16:37:34 -0700, (Ron Hunter) wrote:

When will it be cheap again

Tuesday


Tuesday on which side of the International Date Line? I only ask 'cuz I
heard there was some Middle East sand shortage driving the price up again on
Wednesday...

"George" wrote:
"kony" wrote:
Ron Hunter) wrote:

When will it be cheap again

Tuesday


Tuesday on which side of the International Date Line? I only ask 'cuz I
heard there was some Middle East sand shortage driving the price up again on
Wednesday...

I can't remember.

Jon

In message l75Bc.814462$oR5.701597@pd7tw3no "Noozer"
wrote:

Because you don't have enough money...

I remember paying $100 for eight 1 bit 64K chips (yes K not Meg)...

Piggy backed 'em in my TRS80 Coco.

Memory is CHEAP these days.

Compared to back then, sure. Not that many moons ago you could get
512MB SDRAM under $80CDN (~$50USD)


--
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but, whips and chains excite me.

On 19 Jun 2004 16:37:34 -0700, (Ron Hunter)
wrote:

When will it be cheap again

As far as I know, it's cheap now. Locally, 256Megs of DDR (3200, I
think) is $79Canadian for name brand stuff and $69 for generics. It
really hasn't moved much (+/- $5 locally) in the last year. I suppose
it's jumped around more on the online mail order sites, since they
tend to keep stocks on a more JIT basis than physical stores.

All things considered, I'm rather surprised the pricing hasn't gone up
much more than that given that general inflation's gone through the
roof lately and computer hardware is so transportation dependent.
Maybe that's to come...
---------------------------------------------

MCheu

In message MCheu
wrote:

When will it be cheap again

As far as I know, it's cheap now. Locally, 256Megs of DDR (3200, I
think) is $79Canadian for name brand stuff and $69 for generics. It
really hasn't moved much (+/- $5 locally) in the last year. I suppose
it's jumped around more on the online mail order sites, since they
tend to keep stocks on a more JIT basis than physical stores.

I bought Kingston PC3200 CL2 1GB (2x512MB) a few months ago for $320...
It's about $420 now.


--
"Posting at the top because that's where the cursor happened to
be is like ****ting in your pants because that's where your
asshole happened to be." -- Andreas Prilop (c.i.w.a.h)

On 19 Jun 2004 16:37:34 -0700, (Ron Hunter)
wrote:

When will it be cheap again

Maybe never. In one sense certain types are cheaper but the mainstream
mem speed now is higher as you noticed.

Theres the usual cycle - as they phase out one speed/type of mem the
next higher speed falls in the same price cycle. The thing was though
when we were using 2100 and PC133 when they were hitting their low end
of the cycle - there was a memory GLUT like a lot of things at the end
of the 90s. On top of that there was a recession too - high tech crash
so prices REALLY bottomed out with those speeds/types.

I was so blase about it I would just buy sticks to store them and then
I even passed up offers. Office Max and even compusa was selling them
almost every other week or so for FAR - free after rebate or 4.99.

I got about 3 sticks of DDR 2100 kingston for free and several for
$5-15 for 256 sticks. Even office depot had them for $14.99 after
rebate.

Now the economy is getting better and the industry was cutting back
from its glut , like it usually does. In fact I recall one huge
comglomerate was buying up mem firms and was investigated for possible
price fixing as mem started going up. I dont think anything came out
of it.

So in the sense that DDR 2700 and 3200 are hitting the mainstream now
and have fallen in price in their normal life cycle - its cheaper.
3200 of course used to be super expensive. But compared to the low
points pc133 and 2100 reached - I dont think we'll be seeing free
after rebate 2700 and 3200 every week or every other week though who
know by xmas you might find a deal or two if you are lucky.

Even 3200 has gone up though as you say. I bought two sticks one
Kingston 512 3200 for $55 after rebate and Centon 512 3200 for around
57 after rebate months ago and I havent seen any 50-60 deals in the
last few months.

Theres a deal on Kingston 512 3200 for $69 or so this week I cant
remember where. Some people got Kingston for $57 or so a week or two
ago due to some price mistake and coupons or something at office max
but thats about it.

Those PC133 prices in ads nowadays are a riot. Around Jan I got a 256
stick for 4.99 at CC. Now you can actually see some places advertising
them for $70-80.

"George" wrote in message
...

(We won't even mention that the 300MB drives cost me $25,000 each and each
one was the size of a dishwasher. G) Computers are SUCH a great
bargain.
BTW, are you waiting for cars or houses to get "cheap again"? I just wish
other industries could emulate the price/performance of electronics.


And shrink them in size by a factor of 10 to 100?