Yeah, industrial companies are even worse

Post #4,707 by tonytib 8/12/01 1:12:39 AM Reply	Yeah, industrial companies are even worse Many of them still seem to think their pricing should be a big secret. Well, as more and more engineers use the Internet for product selection, it's not going to help them at all. I don't really care about exact pricing, but ball park figures; for example, if I'm looking at omnidirectional barcode readers (which I will be if one project comes through), I don't care if it's $1800 or $1850, but I do care if it's $10,000 -- that's way over the budget. The industrial companies that best "get" the internet seem to be the semiconductor companies and distributors; for example, I can search Arrow or Avnet Marshall and not only come up with prices, but also quantities in stock and sometimes other info such as lead times. Realtors are another bad group -- they never want to give out price or location; that's why the on-line databases are so great (and still so depressing in the Bay Area). Another pet peeve of mine is companies that are so caught up with marketing and "branding" and the latest special deal that they never clearly explain what they have to offer, and what it costs (AT&T is especially bad about this; every time I try to check out their services, e.g. web access or long distance -- I can't find out what they're really offering). Tony
Post #4,713 by boxley 8/12/01 2:03:02 AM Reply	try our advertising we have a spinning globe(now thats original) movies being piped here and yon with no descritions of how or how much. our web sites are are better. We have a billboard on the way to work that shows a bunch of people all linked together with the words convergence in bold letter. Unless you take the time to stop on the freeway and use binoculars you wouldnt know to goto www.sieweb.com(me actually they are www.siemens.com) thanx, bill Our bureaucracy and our laws have turned the world into a clean, safe work camp. We are raising a nation of slaves. Chuck Palahniuk
Post #4,755 by a6l6e6x 8/12/01 3:34:37 PM Reply	OT. Say Box,... In your travels within the company in your neck of the woods, have you by any chance run into a tech named Dave Michalak? Hasn't been Siemens all that long. Came from Honeywell. Also, any chance you would know Muriel and Jerry Oxer (husband and wife) that used to live in Charlotte, but retired to Hendersonville, NC? I have heard that with at most 5 intervening people one can connect any two individuals on earth. Just trying it with one. :) Alex Only two things are certain: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe. -- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Post #4,866 by boxley 8/13/01 12:30:05 PM Reply	Sorry neither name rings a bell I am in the telecomms portion of the biz. NC has the corning/siemens fiber plant. If dave came from honeywell he prolly went into Siemens Controls. thanx, bill Our bureaucracy and our laws have turned the world into a clean, safe work camp. We are raising a nation of slaves. Chuck Palahniuk
Post #4,912 by a6l6e6x 8/13/01 4:41:15 PM Reply	Thanks! It was just a wild shot. Alex Only two things are certain: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe. -- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Post #4,714 by Andrew Grygus 8/12/01 2:25:53 AM Reply	That's what "List Price" is for. Nobody buys anything at list, but it gives you a pretty good "will be less than" number. A wise company will make a statement like, "$800 list price (see your distributor for actual price)". [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #4,742 by tonytib 8/12/01 12:41:48 PM Reply	Yeah, but most don't even give list price w/o calling I'm talking about industrial barcode readers (I'm going to have to call most of the manufacturers to find out what their omnidirectional models cost), motors, stages, PLC's, sensors, etc. It's slowly improving, helped by the Internet and companies like Automation Direct and National Instruments that give ALL their prices on the web, w/o needing a shopping cart -- but also let you order on line. Semiconductor companies are sometimes bad about this too, but some are like TI,which is very good about giving reference prices (typically for 1,000 units! But this gives you a good enough idea of the cost in smaller or larger quantities). Tony

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