Re: [DS and SG] Tech dispersal to the frontier

On Mon, 26 Oct 1998 08:00:07   Jonathan Jarrard wrote:
>>Far more than initial cost, colonies are going to be concerned with
what
>>kind of maintenance and support base a weapon system requires. ANY
>>system that requires expensive (probably off-world) spare-parts or
>>technicians on a regular basis is likely to be ignored.

>Ah, but this ignores the question of HOW military hardware is procured.
If
acquired by a self-supporting colony with >(and this would be the
exception, I'd think) a forward-thinking administration, they would tend
to
pursue the >equipment with the best LONG-TERM cost.

>But the reality of the matter is likely to be somewhat different. Many
procurement agencies cannot or will not look >beyond up-front costs, and
utterly fail to consider maintenance and upkeep in their consideration
of
costs. If so, >purchasing agents will happily buy something that looks
cheap on paper but may be a logistical nightmare in the field.

In present day conditions this is especially true - I do think that off
world interests (such as colonies, especiall small start-ups) will have
overcome this to SOME degree.  Not eliminated it by any means, but they
are
in a position where a rash of equipment failures caused by short-sighted
decisions could lead to major hardship and catastrophic, or even total,
loss of life and/or resources.	Of course the wisdom will not be
universal,
and a rifle is not an O2 production system, but after watching a couple
of
startups fail, and entire colonizing populations die, the administrators
of
these technology dependant groups are much more likely to understand the
concept of lifetime costs - at least this would improve your chances...

<SNIP>

>I see inner system corporations producing high-cost, low maintenance,
>extended life-span systems for export to colony worlds, perhaps
>providing a range of packages that are tailored to the level of local
>tech and industrial support that is available.

Again, this is the ideal, rational result. But for every company with an
eye for the long-term, there will be a dozen producers of weapon systems
that are cheap up front, but likely to break down under sustained usage
(Packard Bell- Your choice for DFFG weaponry!)

<SHUDDER> Packard-Bell munitions of any sort.  The very thought makes me
cringe...Hopefully those dealing in munitions know more than the average
computer consumer who gets suckered in by Packard-Bell or their ilk. 
But
then again there are those who get shafted by buying a Presario because
someone told them that Compaq can actually make a decent server. A
little
knowledge is a dangerous thing - almost as bad as ignorance.

>And remote colonies will not likely have the time or money to do any
sort
of sustained evaluation before purchase, so >a good set of glossy
promotion
materials and a bit shmoozing/bribery by the sales rep may well knock a
well-built >product out of the running.

sad but true - but administrators who make decisions like that should be
ejected.

Jared Noble