Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2001/06/22/time_seeks_163_2_2m/

Time seeks £2.2m damages from C2000

Duff chipset dust-up

By Robert Blincoe

Posted in Channel, 22nd June 2001 12:20 GMT

Time Computers is having a legal punch-up with distributor Computer 2000.

The PC manufacturer/retailer has been in court this week claiming £2.2 million in lost earnings and damages from C2000 according to CW360.com.

The argument dates back to 1994 when Time bought 4,000 IBM Blue Lightning PCs from C2000, which was called Frontline Distribution at the time. The PCs contained Gala mobos which had been assembled using a faulty chipset

The chipset manufacturer had come clean about the fault back in March 1993. CW360.com says it's not known whether C2000 knew about the problem but Time says the problem wasn't fixed when they brought it to C2000's attention.

Time is also claiming the PCs had hard disk problems.

All this action has a familiar ring to it. Back in December 2000 Time sued IBM for £3 million in the New York State Supreme Court. It alleged IBM committed fraud and sold it memory chips IBM knew to be defective back in 1994.

We don't know the outcome of that one because both parties haven't been very chatty about it. But in July 2000, Time settled a £13 million compensation claim with IBM UK over the same issue.

CW360.com reports the Time/C2000 case was adjourned after two days of argument this week. Both parties are back in court early next month.

If you want to read some inside stuff about Time's products, management/staff relationships then check out the website set up by some of its staff. Unfortunately you can't post to it, but the history is interesting. ®

Related Link

cw360.com story
Time staff website

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