In a message dated 4/12/01 6:53:57 PM Central Daylight Time, steven.wells@netapp.com writes:
If you are considering used equipment please read and understand the
software
licensing and support policies first.
Steven Wells' advice is EXTRAORDINARILY valuable if you are buying ANY NetApp equipment, NEW or USED.
If your company factors any consideration of equipment re-sale value into its purchasing decisions, you would be well-advised to insist that Network Appliance agree to a simple modification of its standard software license agreement before you hand them a purchase order for your next filer. Otherwise, should your company ever be in a position where it needs to sell its NetApp gear -- as many companies, for example, are currently being forced to do with their newer F760s and F840s -- the wholesale value of your system will be about TEN CENTS ON THE DOLLAR as soon as it leaves NetApp's shipping dock.
BTW, when Union Computer advertises used NetApp filers with transferable software licenses, it is because the systems carry software license agreements which NetApp's legal department has, in fact, agreed to modify in order to allow the free transfer of the software with re-sale of the system.
Scott Fischmann Union Computer Exchange, Inc. 6233 Idylwood Lane Minneapolis, MN 55436 Phone: 952 935 7282 scott@unioncomputer.com