Hi everyone,

i have a MPCP-7 deck. I want to upgrade it to MPCP-8. Here are possible prices:

a) Partial Construction (Matrix SB, p. 62)
Characters may purchase software programs for the components based on the cost of the programming (see p. 78).

That would cost: 8x8x8x500=256000

b) Shop Installation (Matrix SB, p. 67)
If a user wants a stock component installed by someone else, the cost is determined by using the custom design rules, above.

That would be 8x8x8x110+8x8x8=56832

If you just buy the software it cost more then buyin the hole MPCP? Did i miss anything here?

Nope you didn't. One of issues with building your own deck.

Better off contacting your Deckmiester and paying a faction of the cost after getting him to install it.

So constructing your own deck is only good if you programm your own software for those too?
That would be 512 days for a MPCP-8, and you must programm all other persona programms too. Looks like my Computer B/R skill will not be as usefull as i thought. Better programm your utilities and buy your deck components...

Nope you didn't miss anything. It's one of the stupidest parts of deck construction that it costs at least an order of magnitude more to install an MPCP or such yourself. The construction rules are basically only useful for little things like upgrading Active/Storage mem, or patching in peripherals.

If you want a house-rule, I'd go for being able to buy the MPCP chip itself for the software price, and you save the hardware price by installing it yourself. All you make is the Installation Test, and all you pay is the Software cost.
From this house-rule, the above would cost 8x8x8x110 = 56,320 and require 8 hours with a CompB/R ( 8 ) test. You don't save much money, but then you don't have the anxiety of letting someone else crack open your deck and play with the innards.

Personally, I find having bits and bobs like that be orders of magnitude more expensive to make oneself to be the desirable result. Some things just don't lend themselves to amateur construction.

~J

Well that's true, but in this case it's orders of magnitude more expensive to buy the parts and install it yourself, and cheaper to buy the parts and have it installed by someone else. It's sorta like if a computer today cost $200 to buy from Dell, and $3000 to buy the exact same parts and assemble them yourself.

Clearly the installation involves a dark ritual which can be performed simultaneously on thousands of computers, but that does not scale—it costs the same to install one this way, and the entire cost is shouldered by the assembler.

Yeah, I see what you mean. I hadn't realized rightly where the problem was.

~J