What classic equipment was rebadged?

From: Derek Peschel <dpeschel_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Mon Mar 8 10:33:23 1999

> > Everyone's mentioning hardware. I was also wondering about software. The
> > "buy a bunch of components and slap them together" approach is gaining in
> > popularity these days, but I assume it's happened for a long time? There's
> > also the "hire a (consultant, young intern, gang of students) to write the
> > code" approach. I'm sure that happens a LOT.
>
> I was wondering when someone might start down this path. There are also a
> lot of 'contract houses' out there who are paid quite well to not be
> known, that write the software for a number of the big names in the
> business.

A bit like ghostwriters.

I think that worrying about software "rebadging" is perfectly logical!
After all, it seems to me that hardware is relatively straightforward. If
it's cheap/shoddy/dangerous, you can almost always tell. (There are a few
mysterious ASICs, or some lines aren't connected, or your power supply has
just caught fire, or whatever.) With software, on the other hand, you may
have no _idea_ what kind of gruesome code is running. As long as it gives
the appearance of working, most people are happy. Except the wretch who has
to maintain it, of course.

> One of the more prolific that I am aware of (having worked there for a
> while) was (is?) 'Control-C SOftware'. (Andrew Johnson-Laird and
> associates)

I may have run into that name recently, but it could have been Control-G
Software.

Still looking for a sense of "how deceptive/messy is (was) the industry?"

-- Derek
Received on Mon Mar 08 1999 - 10:33:23 GMT