[Timbo]

Much of what has been said before is true of the IWs campaign economics.
However remember a few things:
1) Everything in GURPS is overpriced. There is no way the conveyers would ever sell in a real market for what they cost in the book. The THS example is valid everything in THS is overpriced and does not reflect reality at all. Over all the prices of everything fall over time as productivity increases. That is the secret to wealth creation.
2) It is untrue that we do not use resources more efficiently now than 10, 20, or 30 years ago. I don't want to go into a lot of detail but trust me we do.
3) The cost of the conveyers is mostly license fees not cost of production.
Therefore deals will be cut for different prices for different companies, goverments, etc. Also Whitestar Trading would pay almost nothing for thier conveyers so they could bring in whatever they want for almost nothing.
4) There is no reason that techs that did not develop in one timeline but did in another would not transfer. There are many very cool techlines that have not been followed up on for example OTC enegry production or geothermal power. If those techs took off in anouther time line and were refined they would be worth stealing.