"The Puritan Hard Drive"

[Marian the Librarian]

You, too, can own a "massive" collection of books and other resources, cleverly entitled "The Puritan Hard Drive." Scott Brown at ncficdotorg sez so.

And the comedy continues to write itself...

[Kaylee]

It's been around for a couple years. I actually considered getting one, because I'm sort of a theology geek, but it is ridiculously expensive, especially considering it is mostly, if not completely, comprised of public domain materials.

I think it's "on sale" for around $350 now, with a suggested retail price of close to $5,000. A couple years ago it was on sale for just under $1,000, with the suggested price listed at $2,000-something. The sad thing is if they hadn't played all the pricing games and set up their original website to look exactly like one of those out-of-the-box "make money by selling crappy e-books" sites, I would have been willing to pay $200+ for one.

[Hane]

Try the Project Gutenberg site. TONS of public-domain materials there!

[xDreamerx]

What kind of materials does it offer? I know the British Library has recently put a lot of documents online. You could check there.

[Burris]

Don't get me wrong; I think digital libraries are often great, and I enjoy ones such as E-Sword where there is some paid content, but $350?! Can it do tricks?

EDIT: All one would have to do is grab all the PDF documents and e-books she linkes and list them for personal use in an open source software package such as calibri.

Hehe - this is going to be easier than I thought.

[Burris]

Oh, and from the website:

"Because ministry is our priority, if you are unable to afford the full discounted price for the Puritan Hard Drive, please contact us with an offer stating what you would be able to pay. The more information you provide as to why you can't afford even the discounted sale price on the Puritan Hard Drive (even using our interest free deferred payment option), and how much you can afford, the more likely it is that we will be able to work something out so that you can obtain the Puritan Hard Drive. If you are truly in need we will do our best, within reason and bounds of Scriptural propriety, to help you."

I have a lot I want to say on the above, but I'll leave that to other snarkers.

[Burris]

If you don't like the Puritan Hard Drive, and have the temerity to publish a critique of it, watch out! Promoter Reg Barrow will accuse you of being a demented liar guilty of both libel and stalking (sound familiar?) - oh, but he still loves you and is praying for your soul.

The original critic, Hershell Lee Harvell, then had to answer Barrow's nonsense - which is unfortunate because I don't think Barrow's original response, which was merely a mix of horseshit and crass marketing, deserved a response.

Harvell writes, in part:

This now brings me to a new point that I will critique. I want to know why the Puritan Hard Drive cost me $895.00.

Reg Barrow made everyone think that if they did not order the Puritan Hard Drive in the prepublication sell, then they would later have to end up paying $1000 or more dollars for it. All one has to do to see

this deceptive ploy is to go to his Internet site and they will see that he is promising some kind of sell or deal if you buy the hard drive now.

I went to his site March 26, 2011. Here is an example from his web site

“TODAY ONLY, SAVE $650.00, UNTIL 11:59PM (ET), ON THE ................PURITAN HARD DRIVE (Single Platform Edition, SPE). Now Just $347.97 (With Free Shipping Worldwide)! Click Here Now

As This Sale Price Expires Today Saturday, March 26, 2011, At 11:59PM (Eastern Time). The retail price of the new single platform edition (Windows or Mac) of the Puritan Hard Drive is $2,997.97. The SWRB Super Sale price is $997.97. However, TODAY ONLY, until 11:59PM (Eastern Time), you may purchase either the Windows only or Mac only single platform edition of the PuritanHard Drive for just $347.97. Click here and save an extra $650.00 now!â€

I went back to his site one week later on April 3, 2011. here is what I found:

“FOR TWO DAYS ONLY, SAVE $648.00, UNTIL 11:59PM (ET) ON MONDAY, ON THE PURITAN HARD DRIVE (Single Platform Edition, SPE). Now Just $349.97 (With Free Shipping Worldwide)! Click Here Now As This Sale Price Expires In Two Days On Monday, April 4, 2011, At 11:59PM (Eastern Time).â€

Mr. Reg Barrow is using deceptive advertising techniques. He needs to repent for promising a deal if someone will buy his Puritan Hard Drive today. This is what lead me to purchase the drive in a hurry

and I ended up buying it for $895.00. I only have the single platform drive and now he is selling it for $347.97.

NOTE: if you go to the PHD site now, that same kind of announcement is up.

Even if the product really were worth that kind of money, I wouldn't buy it from that company. From what I've read so far, it seems to me that Barrow treats his customers like chumps and his critics like shit.