From:          Jim Strickland
<jim(a)calico.litterbox.com>
 Subject:       Re: Looking for info - En-link Ethernet card for the Apple II
 To:            classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
 Date:          Tue, 26 Jun 2001 11:27:15 -0600 (MDT)
 Reply-to:      classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org 
  Do remember that at the time PC ethernet cards were
gruesomely expensive  too.
 Even in 1990, when I went to grad school, the fact that I got a NIC through
 the housing department for *only* $129 was a real bargain.  And the housing
 department was buying them in bulk and splitting up the packages and selling
 at cost, retail was still much more expensive.
 Also remember that in 1984, PCs were struggling to catch up to the A2
 in terms of capability and were perhaps twice the price, and that
 1984 was the year the Macintosh was *born*.  It was a different era,
 and if you needed ethernet, it probably made sense.  
Correct,
When I bought pair of ethernet TP/coax, chose SMC ISA type and GVC
(generic to keep cost down).  SMC for dorm 'net and other one for
linux back in '96.
Cost was about 150 for SMC, generic was around 75.  All in canadian
dollars.
BTW, I know my SMC still works, and generic one is sick.
Now, SMC is repackaging generic stuff and sold under their label.
Now that one I'm not interested.  Who is still selling with real
ethernet chipsets like Tulip, etc?  Not RealTek or no-name chipsets
crap.
Cheers,
Wizard