ICPI Ltd, IBM UK Ltd’s wholly-owned clone subsidiary, says that Compaq Computer Corp’s new personal computers do not undercut their Ambra systems, but are in fact, 55% more expensive: the Ambra entry-level Sprinta is UKP1,000 and this includes an 80Mb disk, three expansion slots, 4Mb RAM, a VGA monitor, MS-DOS, Windows and onsite maintenance; the ProLinea entry-level system is UKP550 but does not have a hard disk or monitor, only 2Mb of RAM, two slots and neither MS-DOS, Windows nor maintenance; Ambra claims that buying a total system plus VGA monitor, 2Mb of RAM, MS-DOS, Windows, mouse and maintenance will will cost UKP1,328 and that does not include the cost of an additional 40Mb disk space; ICPI reckons that the nearest equivalent in the ProLinea range is the 3/25 M84 with three slots and an 84Mb disk; it is UKP800, but to bring it up to the Ambra spec, it would cost UKP1,478.
