From: runyan@cup.hp.com (Mark Runyan)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: CD prices vary wildly
Summary: Shop around on prices for CD-ROM disks
Keywords: CD-ROM, cost, price
Date: 11 Sep 92 15:19:12 GMT
Organization: HP, Cupertino, CA, USA
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

In going through the various papers, shopping magazines, and junk mail,
I discovered that the price range on CD's is amazing.  Now this may be
old news to everyone here, but it startled me.  The following table is
based on "junk" mail, and other papers about the Bay Area.  I'm not
advertising the quality of any given company, nor will I promise that
these prices are ones just anyone can acquire, but I believe that the
following table accurately reflects advertised prices for various CD
disks for use in a CD-ROM drive on an IBM PC.  It may even be possible
to find better prices on any of these disks.  But I'd like to know
why the price varies so much!  I know that shopping around is a good
idea, but it seems that there are some significant savings if you 
know where to look!  However, it may also be that CD's with the same
title in the paper don't contain the same information.

Mark Runyan

---Long table follows-------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer- prices may change without notice from any vender; information
            from generally available advertisements; quality/reliability
            of vendors or CD's are unknown; Better prices may exist 
            from a referenced vender under certain sales conditions; 
            This is not  an exhaustive list of prices!

 Disk name    . Proft .  Power . CD-ROM . Tiger- . Frys . CD    . Crazy
              | Press |  User  | SOURCE | ware   | Elec |Systms | Bob
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Mega Rom   reg|79.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
    Sale price|49.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
SDN Plus   reg|79.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
    Sale price|49.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Mega Rom 2 reg|79.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
    Sale price|49.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Mega Win OS/2 |       |        |        |        |      |       |       |
           reg|79.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
    Sale price|49.00  |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Fao cd-rom reg|199.00 |        |        |        |      |       |       |
    Sale price| 99.00 |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
So much       |       |69.95   |        |        |      |       | 49.00 |
 shareware    |       |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
So much       |       |        | 40.00  |        |      |       |       |
 screenware   |       |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Business Mastr|       |        |28.00   |        |      |       |39.00  |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Family Doctor |       |        |60.00   |79.95   |      |58.00  |77.00  |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Font Master   |       |        |60.00   |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Front Page    |       |        |60.00   |129.90  |      |       |19.00  |
 News         |       |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Monkey Island |       |        |45.00   |79.95   |49.95 |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
MS-DOS Archive|       |        |30.00   |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Night Owl V5  |       |        |55.00   |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Night Owl V6  |       |        |65.00   |99.90   |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Source cd-rom |       |        |30.00   |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Bible Library |       |        |        |595.00  |      | 45.00 |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Mammals       |       |        |        |149.00  |      | 49.00 |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
US History    |       |        |        |395.00  |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Timetable of  |       |        |        | 99.95  |      |       |39.00  |
 Science      |       |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Game Pack II  |       |        |        | 49.95  |      | 49.00 |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Wing Commander|       |        |        | 99.95  |      |       |       |
 Ultima IV    |       |        |        |        |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
Loom          |       |        |        | 79.95  |49.95 |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
CD Speedway   |       |        |        |99.95   |      |       |       |
--------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+------+-------+-------|
King Quest V  |       |        |45.00   |        |      |       |29.00  |
--------------^-------^--------^--------^--------^------^-------^-------'

Feel free to fill in any values that you find.
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom