MIT swap fest / yard sale

[Bill Ricker]

>could pick up a workstation
> and a laptop there?

Yes.  And lots of add-on/upgrade/legacy parts. And hand tools and LED
flashlights and professional audio gear and sometimes lab glassware,
microscopes, hydraulics or lasers, and once in a while bits of
aircraft or weapons systems.

> Do they sell functional systems?

Usually.  Usually correctly labelled too. Many are plugged in and running.

> Are they reliable vendors?

Some are. Some are unknown.
   The large outside booths are fairly reliable -- I got 5 nice
2x800MHz Piii 2U servers from the big white truck last summer for a
good price, working like champs.
   Some of the guys without business-cards with laptops on the hoods
of cars I've had, uh, issues with, can't prove anything but not happy.
  In general, used laptops are a gamble. It's hard for resellers who
didn't _use_ it himself to know if it's been dropped a few too many
times. I'm happier buying servers at the show and laptops from friends
who are trading up (or whatever) -- my last two laptop purchases have
been from BLU and GNHLUG members (one at GNHLUG booth at HossTraders).

If you come, print a copy of the flyer from
http://web.mit.edu/w1mx/www/swapfest.shtml to save $1 on admission.

If you see someone wearing at hat or badge with "N1VUX" on it, that's me.

-- 
Bill
n1vux at arrl.net bill.n1vux at gmail.com