Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (
More info?)
Um, what is a name-brand ANYTHING? All of the name-brand computer companies
like to portray themselves as manufacturers of computers. The reality is that
the assembly of computers (notebooks, desktops, servers, printers) is done by a
contract electronics manufacturer (CEM), and the name-brands strive for a
zero-inventory business model. Hence the CEM assembles a Dell PC, puts it in a
box, pastes the shipping label on the box, and it goes direct from the CEM to
you with a stop in Nashville or Louisville to remove your computer from a
pallet-load and direct it to the flight which brings it straight to you.
Many CEMs, in addition to computer assembly, have taken on overall design
responsibility with consultation from the name-brand companies. The
consultation, by and large, consists of determining what sort of chassis goes on
the computer and how the BIOS is customized to have a Dell (or IBM, or HP, or
Gateway) look-and-feel.
So your Dell box may actually be a Foxconn, Flextronics, or Solectron box.
The computer industry eventually began to follow the automotive industry
manufacturing model, which depends pretty heavily on smaller manufacturers of
brake shoes, door handles, tires, wheels, etc etc etc. The computer industry
has now very much surpassed the auto industry by turning computers into
commodities. If the auto industry followed the evolved computer industry
manuafcturing model, we'd have much less expensive cars to drive, too. However,
the exterior and interior decor of an auto is one of the more expensive elements
to manufacture, as compared to computers where the skins are only so much sheet
metal and extruded cheap plastic. The auto industry continues to succeed in
hyping certain name brands as having higher quality and a classy image. With
computers, only the niche computers used for high end gaming (e.g. Alienware)
and heavy-duty "workstations" command high prices... Ben Myers
On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 08:46:50 -0500, "Jim Higgins" <gordian238@hotmail.com> wrote:
>http://www.powernotebooks.com/articles/index.php?action=fullnews&id=17
>
>--
>...guarded by a tired Cohort of Roman Heavy Infantry"
>
>