From: shin-jungshik@CS.YALE.EDU (Jungshik Shin)
Subject: Re: Korea
Organization: Yale University
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 05:18:03 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.235748.14585@lth.se> e91au@efd.lth.se (Andre Ung) writes:
>In article <1992Sep27.043533.22799@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> int177c@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Jae Won) writes:
>>In article <1992Sep26.203408.26146@eng.umd.edu> dskim@eng.umd.edu (Daeshik Kim) writes:
>>>In article <1992Sep26.113442.23330@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> int177c@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Jae Won) writes:
>>>>Wow, last time I looked(which was about maybe two months ago, 386 was around
>>>>two time as expensive as a US system. When I was there in 1992 January..i.e.
>>>>this Jan, I could not site one 386-sx machine in any of department stores and
>>>>386 at home was a rare site. 
>>>
>>>	Judging from the price of sparc clones they make - Trigem, Hundai..
>>>	they sould be pretty cheap there, aren't they?
>>>
>>>	Also, don't they (Hundai, Trigem) donate some to Univ. there?
>>>
>>
>>Last time I heard anyting about computer prices in Korea, a 486 cost 4000000wons.
>>Now, that is about 8000$ Australian and about 6000$ US. I think it has quite
>>a large hard disk but still, I have not seen a 486 that cost 8000$ yet.(here
>>anyway).
>>I do not know if anyone(Hyundai or Trigem) donate those workstations but
>>I assure you, many unis don't even have 1 unix machine.(and not even a vms 
>>machine).
>>
>>>>I am not saying anything against some institues but some universities don't 
>>>>even have a stupid VAX machines.
>>>
>>>	They might be better off staying away from those collector's item
>>>	(you'll probably be able to get Vax11's less than $1K).
>>
>>Also, I believe that Korean computers are actually cheaper overseas than it is
>>in Korea.. which doesn't really help the country.
>>
>>Jae
>>
>
>from my visit in korea is that most of the PC's is about 2 times as expensive
>than in Sweden, (an ordinary 486/33, 200 Meg/IDE SVGA/1Meg will cost about
>$3000 +VAT, in Sweden). 
   Here's 3 month old information from Korea(relatively 'fresh' information).
It's from a new Korean grad. student who came to the US in July.
  He said that 486 DX 33(200MB HDD,SVGA,128-256 cash, 8MB Ram and 'HANGUL
Hardware) costed about $4000 in February when some netter working at Korean
branch of Grumann(?) bought one at Yongsan Electronic Market for $4000. 
However, in July, the price dropped to $2500 or less(2 milion won) at
Yongsan EM. It's lower than the price in Sweden cited above. A few days ago, 
another netter(Mr. Park,Taeha in Korea) wrote that 486 DX with similar 
setting is NOW 1.7 milion won (= US $2125), which is surely higher than 
the lowest price of the similar model in the US,but not twice higher than 
that. 

  The netter who got 486 DX for $4000 in Feb. or March said that inflation
affected the price of computers in Korea. But, I've never seen increase of
computer price. As shown above, actually, it decreased by more than a third
in 4-5 months. Of course, this has happened everywhere in the world and
Korea is not an exception on that matter.

  I'd like to ask netters abroad who visited Korea briefly not to regard
Korean computer as unreasonably more expensive than in other country only after
looking at price tag of computers in some dept. store. It's not a passer-by
but those living in the country who know computer price best.