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# Re: 128KB Memory Card One Pass Copy

- To: <support@gesn.com>
- Subject: Re: 128KB Memory Card One Pass Copy
- From: "Ian S. Piper" <ian@gesn.com>
- Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 12:22:39 -0500

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Clark <ken@gesn.com>
To: support@gesn.com <support@gesn.com>
Date: Tuesday, April 06, 1999 12:54 PM
Subject: RE: 128KB Memory Card One Pass Copy
>> << Of course we can only do this when the Accu-Vote
>> is equiped with 256K of RAM so the infrared units would need to
>> be upgraded.
>> >>
>>
>> Please clarify what needs to be upgraded? The reader? the Rev of
>> firmware?
>> What are costs going to be for the upgrade to 2.0.
>
>I didn't see a response to this one. Guy was just talking about the
>one-pass 128k copy. This would only require an upgrade of the RAM, not
>anything else. Ian would know the cost. Do we have a price sheet for these
>kinds of upgrades (RAM, reader, clock chip, whatever)?
>
>Of course I doubt anyone would upgrade the RAM just for the 128k copy
>feature. Multi-pass 128k copy will continue to work for those machines that
>don't have 256k of RAM.
>
>Ken
Sorry for the delay folks, I forgot about this one.
Thanks for the reminder, Ken and you're absolutely right. A customer doesn't have to upgrade firmware or RAM to copy a 128KB Memory Card. They have to do four insertions for each card, but it still works. If they wanted a one pass copy, and a 1.94 version was available with this feature, then they would only need to upgrade the RAM and the ROMs, but not the Smartwatch Chip.
But if a customer wants the 2.0 version of firmware, they will have to upgrade the RAM, the ROMs, and the Smartwatch Chip because the Version 2.0 firmware uses 32 pin ROM chips instead of the standard 28 pin ROM chips and Version 2.0 will probably expect 128KB RAM chips to be installed.
If a customer wanted to upgrade an Infra-red Accu-Vote to 2.0 they would need to purchase the following:
Qty Description
1 - DS1216-F SmartWatch Chip (32 pin socket)
We're currently selling the new chip (which is more expensive) at the same price ($35.00) as the old Smartwatch but that will change. They will probably be charged out at $45.00 to $50.00, but that's up to Howard and Larry.
2 - 128KB SRAM Chip
They currently go for $25.00 each
1 - 2.00 ROM Chip Set
We've never charged for ROM upgrades in the past but that has got to change.(See "My two cents worth" below)
If a customer wanted to upgrade a Visible Light Accu-Vote to 2.0 they would need to purchase the same as the above but minus the 128KB RAM Chips (those are already installed).
THIS PRICING IS A GUESSIMATE FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY. DO NOT QUOTE PRICES TO CUSTOMERS UNTIL LARRY AND HOWARD HAVE SET AN UPGRADE PRICE. WHEN THE UPGRADE PACKAGE PRICE IS AVAILABLE, I WILL POST IT.
Here's my two cents worth:
I believe that as long as we have a stable firmware level (1.94w looks good so far) for the current Infra-red configuration (i.e., 32KB RAM and Old SmartWatch Chip) and the Visible Light configuration (i.e., 128KB RAM and Old Smartwatch Chip), then we can supply them with a free upgrade of that firmware (say 1.94w) to fix the bugs they experience with their current firmware.
But when it comes to the new features of 2.0, the customer should pay an upgrade fee that will have to cover the material and installation costs and generate some reasonable profit (remember our mission statement? That's why we're in this business). We've been giving our firmware away since the dawn of Global. With this stable version (1.94w) under our belts to satisfy existing customers, I believe we can start to generate some revenue by selling the new versions (2.0).
Who knows, maybe we can start covering some of the costs of the software development.
(Oops. Sorry about that, I just had a momentary lapse of common business sense).
Ian

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