What classic equipment was rebadged?

From: Merle K. Peirce <at258_at_osfn.org>
Date: Mon Mar 8 07:58:13 1999

Wang certainly used other components. Their big fixed disc drives are
the same as Honeywell, who also got them from someone else. As the
machines are not ready to hand, I can't peek to see the builder's name.
They used Data Products for their 5573 printers, and I was surprised to find
a Diablo 620 with a Wang badge. I think they also rebadged Racal-Vadic
modems.

On Mon, 8 Mar 1999, Derek Peschel wrote:

> I know that Company A would take one of Company B's products and stick a
> "Company A" label on it... that's what most people mean when they say
> "rebadging", I think. It's pretty easy to spot, if you can find one of
> Company B's products for sale.
>
> But I'm also wondering about the case in which Company A *hires* Company B
> to make a product, and may even deny that Company B did any of the work. Is
> that also called rebadging?
>
> What classic hardware/software companies were most famous for this? I've
> learned (from Allison and Megan's various posts) that Digital sometimes used
> other companies' stuff -- often at the cheap end of a line of products, I
> suspect. What about IBM? Wang? Microsoft?
>
> I'm thinking mostly of the 60's to early 80's. I don't need to ask about
> the current state of the computer industry, since I already *know* that it's
> near-total anarchy.
>
> You may wonder what brought this stream-of-consciousness eruption on. Every
> time I look at TI's calculator web site, I see that they state their
> calculators' features in terms of "bid specifications". Now I find that
> creepy, personally. I always thought that TI didn't care very much about
> its calculators (anyone see any vintage TI calculators to go with the fine
> HP machines at the last VCF?). But if TI puts bids out, then they care even
> less than I thought. Unless they have some perverse internal bid system?
>
> And that ties into the other reason I made this post. What does the
> computer industry look like from the companies' perspective? What sorts of
> nasty deals have gone on in back rooms? Big companies love to use terms
> like "OEM" or "supplier" but that doesn't even scratch the surface of a
> complex web of relationships.
>
> Then there's the even more intricate question of the *information* behind
> all of the energy (i.e., the source code, algorithms, proprietary
> techniques). Sometimes a high enough price will buy it; sometimes it isn't
> available for any price... wierd.
>
> I'll save the question about the quality of the finished product for next
> itme. :) Besides, I already think I know the answer: often the quality is
> the last priority on the list, and the customer gets the shaft. (At least
> lately. Maybe it was different 25 years ago.)
>
> Thanks for reading this ramble,
>
> -- Derek
>

M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
215 Shady Lea Road,
North Kingstown, RI 02852

"Casta est qui nemo rogavit."
              
              - Ovid
Received on Mon Mar 08 1999 - 07:58:13 GMT