>User Profile > mapesdhs > All-About-Me

I am a private trader in SGI (Silicon Graphics) systems, parts, spares and upgrades. Please see my main site for advice and information on all things SGI, or if there's something my site can't answer, feel free to contact me! My other interests include PC benchmarking and overclocking, future technology and its impact on society, astronomy, cosmology, climate change research, disaster management & social impacts, electronics, scifi movies and many other things, but SGIs have always been my main forte.

I've been running my SGI Tech/Info site for more than 15 years, so buying and selling SGI items was inevitable. I've sold SGI systems and parts/upgrades, and given free technical advice, to private individuals, hobbyists, professionals, small businesses and major companies in almost every part of the world, in some cases to rather famous names, eg. ILM, the BBC, Moving Picture Company, Rockstar, but also dozens of industrial companies, small business, solo professionals and individuals in Asia, the Far East, South America, US/Canada, etc.

Unlike most SGIs found on the 2nd-hand market, my systems are fully setup and ready to use, with my custom IRIX OS install that includes lots of extras, typically 12GB of data already present on a 36GB 15K system disk, with the latest freeware/Nekoware, Blender, BMRT, Ayam, demos, games, etc., and customised system settings as required for the buyer (host name, IP address, gateway/DNS, etc.) I also completely clean every system I sell, and ensure certain parts are replaced with all-new items for maximum reliability, eg. every Octane is fitted with a new XBow cooling fan and cool-blue LED lightbar. No other seller in the world does these things.

I also make it a point of professional pride to employ the best possible shipping and packaging materials/methods, to ensure safe and reliable delivery even of fragile items such as O2s. If you buy an O2 from anywhere else, there is a very high chance you will received it damaged or in pieces, whereas if you buy an O2 from me, I can guarantee it will be delivered fully intact. Infact, with so much experience in shipping/packaging, I ended up writing a page of general advice for all eBid/eBay users - please have a look! The info should be useful to anyone who sells items on an auction site or who has to post something for whatever reason.

As well as complete systems, I also have a vast range of parts, spares and upgrades available for most models of SGIs, especially the various desktop systems. I literally have hundreds of items to add to my eBid pages, so please contact me if you're looking for something not yet listed - chances are I do have it available.

Apart from hardware items, I also offer custom IRIX OS installations, repair service, system cleaning, consultancy services, though I am happy to answer all general questions about SGIs for free. Indeed, I have supplied technical advice on SGI purchases and upgrades to hundreds of people and organisations over the years, including to numerous big name companies such as Hyundai, Dreamworks, etc. and of course countless home hobbyists, solo professionals and small businesses. By deliberate choice, I've never worked for SGI directly in order to be able to offer fully independent advice.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me!

Lastly, for payments made by PayPal or other online service, the buyer must select the option to cover the fees when making a payment. Alternatively, fees can be avoided by paying by cheque or bank transfer, though a fee will often still apply for international transfers (not always); I am able to accept cheques in international currencies without having to add on any fee, but please contact me first for details if you wish to pay in this way.