In the process of evaluating products and getting the work done, participants will need to buy manuals for various products, supplies for machines provided by AI, etc. Our intent is that manuals you need to evaluate products, etc., can be handled by a petty cash mechanism--you buy it and send the receipt to AI, which will refund the money to you. If in doubt, call and ask. (In some cases, we know places to get things cheaper than the local computer store or direct from the manufacturer. Also, somebody else might have one you can borrow.) To avoid disputes, it's wise to clear everything first, but something like a $35 manual for a package competitive with one we're developing will naturally be O.K.
By combining AI's orders with MSL's ongoing business, we can get floppy discs and other computer supplies at very low prices. We will centrally purchase these items and ship them out to people as requested. We'll try to keep reasonable quantities of all the normal supplies in stock here, so Bay Area people can get what they need next day by UPS. Shipping costs make this crazy for overseas people, so we will reimburse them for supplies expenses from receipts they submit.