FA: (US) Mobilepro 900 to 900C upgrade

In case anybody is looking for one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEC-Mobilepro-900-UPGRADE-TO-900c-SUPER-RARE-150-value_W0QQitemZ250011876256QQihZ015QQcategoryZ56168QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

not very funny, the guy probably bought one upgrade once (presumably original version, as he has the original instructions paper), and then copied it to a few cf cards... good way of making a fortune without any real efforts.

I give the auction 3 days before it is cancelled....

Rich, you're trying to cancel it?
this guy has been selling them for a while. really time to stop this fraud
oh and i see he sold a 15$ LFL battery for 50$, saying it's the hard to find nec battery, oh sure enough, look at the pic, it is the 15$ one. not that it's any worse than the original nec one... just cheeky.

Sorry I posted it. It's the first I've seen. How is this different from the legitimate upgrade?

Hmm, I admit it. I’m torn. While it’s certain that this is a copy of an original upgrade, and it is absolute highway robbery, I wonder. I have a soft spot for legacy gear. I own a VCR and a Windows98 PC. While I can’t agree with the immense profit being made, to a certain degree, it feels like legacy software that becomes freeware after the new version comes out. Admittedly, there has been no 910 or 950 or 1000 announced by NEC. So, I don’t know if anyone will agree with stashing this upgrade under this heading.

Ultimately the 900 line is at its end. NEC is neither making nor loosing money. What’s sold is sold. Now it’s just shameless charlatans pimping bootlegs for “deal” prices. Would it be morally wrong for a member of the community to have a copy and perform upgrades for the locals? (You know, at low prices, like the cost of shipping)

I’m not sorry it was posted. I think it warrants discussion.


Edited by oflash 2006-07-26 8:18 PM

No CMonex, I'm not trying to cancel it. That is just an America expression... What I was implying is that normally eBay picks up on these things and cancels the auctions themselves. I was estimating 3 days until they cancelled this one.

Desertway, Each of the upgrades came on a 128mb CF card with an assigned serial number to them. You also got a sticker to place on the bottom of your Mobilepro along with a single sheet of instructions along with the shipping invoice. They were intended for one time use. When you upgraded, the serial number of your unit was also upgraded to reflect the change...mainly for warranty and identification purposes. They were distributed by only a handful of select vendors, and then only for a very short time. They originally cost about $150 for the upgrade...then NEC pulled the plug on their HPC line. The one this guy is selling will probably upgrade a unit fine...it is just that it is like selling your WinXP laptop install disks without selling the laptop...it is illegal.

Oflash, I know exactly how you feel. Everyone is torn between what is morally correct, legal, and the reality of the situation. These upgrades are really Microsoft programs...not like a battery from a Mobilepro which belonged to NEC. When you buy software, you are normally just licensing it, not owning it. Your question of would it be morally wrong is simple: Yes it is. It is both morally wrong and illegal. But we live in an imperfect world, and we are imperfect creatures...so normally, all it takes is a simple post such as..."Can anyone help me upgrade my 900 to a 900C" and you will get responses. The public response that says "you have to find a legal copy and buy it" and the private email response that normally goes like "I can help you out..."

Rich

Rich, ok, i just didn't understand i don't think ebay would cancel it just now, they have let this happen for a while.. amazing the seller can get away with this.

Very well said, Rich.

Agreed. Well said. If not with a touch of cynicism, but only to highlight the realities of the situation. Ah, that the truth was crystal to us all and we all abided in it. Most poignant, however, it the point about licensing.

I’m not going to dwell too much on the topic. I have me a brand new 900c on the way. I leave the issue to more fertile and less deviant minds than my own, for the time being.

Edited by oflash 2006-07-27 12:36 AM

Looks like the seller ended the auction early...perhaps he got a good offer?

Was his info private before the auction ended?

I never checked...maybe someone else did. I just looked at the auction that one time and figured it was destined to be gone sooner or later....

yes he's been private for a while...