[geeks] Rip-off computer rental companies

[roosmcd at dds.nl]

> While checking the ex-rental computer market I came across
> a company called Livingston... (I'll spare you the URL, but
> with .nl attached you'll get close)

 They are actually not excusively Dutch. I think .de is the main office in 
Europe. I've got several items from Livingston and they were priced quite 
reasonably. Although I don't think I bought them directly from Livingston.
 
> I see there a HP 715/50 with 32 MB memory, 1 GB harddisk for a whopping:
> 1149 Euro's (For the US people, about $ 1100?)

 Hey, it's an asking price. Can you blame them? It's worth a try. 
 
> I got my HP 715/80 with 64 MB and extra 2 GB harddisk for the exact 
> amount of.... absolutely NOTHING. They where throwing it away at the 
> place I had my internship. 

 Giant printer company that is !Xerox? They had lots of HP stuff when I was 
there last year. By the looks of it, they were going to throw a lot of stuff 
out soon (which would be about now). But so far I haven't seen any unusual 
number of Hp machines for sale.

> Enough ranting for now, have been lucky enough with a free HP 715, a 
> cheap SS4 ($45) and a cheapass Alpha (NoName board...)

 Noname alpha boards sometimes went for fl. 5,- at computer markets in .nl, 
there were times when stands had multiple pallets stacked with noname boards 
MIB behind them. 

 greetings,
   Michiel