Livre Conversion Rate

[kilemall]

What is the Livre conversion rate to our dollars?

I really like some 2300 equipment and want to port it into Traveller, and I hope to make the cost conversion easier.

 

[aramis]

What is the Livre conversion rate to our dollars?

I really like some 2300 equipment and want to port it into Traveller, and I hope to make the cost conversion easier.

The canon anwer:

Goods: For prices of manufactured goods in general, a convenient rule of thumb for referees is to take the current 1980’s price in dollars of an item and divide it by 3 to get a rough base price in livres. On frontier worlds which do not have local manufacturing facilities, manufactured goods must be imported and are consequently more expensive. Multiply their cost by two or three, depending on how far away from a major manufacturing center the world is located. On the other hand, locally produced goods tend to be much cheaper if produced further from another manufacturing facility. Colonies tend to price these goods lower to encourage their export in order to obtain the currency to purchase needed imports. Multiply the price of local goods by 0.9 down to 0.5 to reflect this.

 

[kilemall]

Hmm, easiest method would be comparing 1977 dollars to 1985 dollars, figure out what 3x + the conversion rate is, and applying that.

Measuring Worth shows about 10 different measures ranging from 1.61 to 2.08, I'd say a working median is 1.75.

So 1.75 x 3 is 5.25. That's my conversion value.

A lot of those prices work out more consistently, although I must say the computers have even more heinous price points.

Thanks Aramis.

 

[Clone95]

A lot of those prices work out more consistently, although I must say the computers have even more heinous price points.

Considering something like the NeXT went for $6,500 in '88 (or $13,100 today), that's not super surprising.

 

[aramis]

You could get a TS1000 for about $200
Atari 400 $300
Atari 800 $500
Apple //e $1500
Kaypro II $1500 (drops to about $1200 in 1985)
Kaypro IV $2000
Tandy 1000 $1200, later drops to $1000.


TRS80 Pocket Computer PC1 $230. Cassette interface $49 + cassette deck. Printer $149 (prints on receipt tape). 1 line interface, 24 character wide dot matrix display,
"Sharp PC-1210 offered 896 bytes of memory and the BASIC programming language (in a simplified variant called S'-BASIC "S Prime BASIC," S being short for Sharp), using a 4-bit dual CPU system, for an MSRP of US$229." (Same device, different labels, as the PC1.) It's worth noting that all ram is pokable, including several operational flags...

This help with understanding the prices?

Go dig around http://oldcomputers.net to get more pricepoints.

 

[shaunhilburn]

What is the Livre conversion rate to our dollars?

I really like some 2300 equipment and want to port it into Traveller, and I hope to make the cost conversion easier.

Based on:
Fast food meal Lv 1
Quality restaurant meal Lv 5
Overnight budget hotel Lv 10
Family sedan Lv 2,500
Skilled hourly wage Lv 5 - 10 per hour

the prices in the 1st edition Player's Manual look like Lv 1 = $1 US circa 1969 = $6.5 to $7.5 circa 2017

 

[kilemall]

Considering something like the NeXT went for $6,500 in '88 (or $13,100 today), that's not super surprising.

I saw a NEXT in action in something like 1989, it was like from the future compared to PCs of the era.

 

[kilemall]

You could get a TS1000 for about $200
Atari 400 $300
Atari 800 $500
Apple //e $1500
Kaypro II $1500 (drops to about $1200 in 1985)
Kaypro IV $2000
Tandy 1000 $1200, later drops to $1000.


TRS80 Pocket Computer PC1 $230. Cassette interface $49 + cassette deck. Printer $149 (prints on receipt tape). 1 line interface, 24 character wide dot matrix display,
"Sharp PC-1210 offered 896 bytes of memory and the BASIC programming language (in a simplified variant called S'-BASIC "S Prime BASIC," S being short for Sharp), using a 4-bit dual CPU system, for an MSRP of US$229." (Same device, different labels, as the PC1.) It's worth noting that all ram is pokable, including several operational flags...

This help with understanding the prices?

Go dig around http://oldcomputers.net to get more pricepoints.

I'm aware of what prices were, having checked into PC pricing from 1983 on and being aware of the microcomputer workstation costs (which I would gather is what the Equipment Guide machine is modeling), and the cost of the mainframes I worked on in the era.

It's just particularly eye-opening to see the translated cost of said 2300 workstation into a much greater cost then even the CT 1977/1981 'future personal computer' cost.

Not a major issue for me, I'm more interested in translating some of the space gear and Pentapod products, especially given that bio-based equipment is highly unrepresented in Traveller in general, and Earth as a major biotech economy is important for MTU.

 

[whartung]

I saw a NEXT in action in something like 1989, it was like from the future compared to PCs of the era.

I paid $3K for my NeXTStation in '92, but that was with a college discount. I went to an early hands on, extended demo seminar that they had, where you got your own machine and got to work on small projects for about 4 hours.

It was a pretty neat machine. I had it hooked up to USENET via a 2400 baud Hayes smart modem.

Played in one of Steve Higginbotham's TCS games with it.

I still have it, in my attic.

 

[kilemall]

Hmm, rereading this, I didn't do the conversion right at all.

Converting 2300 livres to CT credits is times 3 to get to 1985 bucks, then apply .55 to convert to 1977 bucks as the basis of the CT pricing scheme.

So a 1000 Livre Pressure Suit is

(1000 x 3) x .55= Cr1650

A result I can live with, as I see pressure suits as being in-ship vacuum protection in normal crew ops or emergencies, with no radiation or armor/damage control protection. Good enough for duty wear and having emergency suits in staterooms and shared space.

Or, an easier conversion is simply 1 Lv = Cr1.65.[FONT=arial,helvetica]

Now then, going from 2300 Livres to 2016 bucks is 3x2.5 or x7.5, in line with Shaun's take.

2016 to 2300 is the inverse, divide by 3 then multiply .55 or just multiply by . 183.
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