Self Same computers (was HP & Compaq)

From: McManis, Charles <Charles.McManis_at_netapp.com>
Date: Thu Sep 6 13:30:31 2001

Jeff Hellige originally wrote:
> As has been shown over and over, the masses put up with a lot
> of things that an individual would otherwise turn away from and
> refuse. It's kind of interesting to note that at this point, PC
> brand names mean very little and there's little to no brand loyalty.
> Makes sense since there is little difference from one to the other.

This is why collecting classic computers and preserving them is so important.

Interestingly, people who were different in the early PC days were punished severely from not being "100% PC Compatible" Many on this list remember the famous question, "But does is run MS Flight Simulator?" Which was one of the standard compatibility tests.

As for brand names, I think they will come more and more to mean _everything_. After all it has happened with cars it will happen with computers. 21st century personal computers are rapidly converging on a relatively fixed function, internet access unit with data composition and retrieval capabilities.

No doubt the auto industry had a very similar time of it and today cars are largely identical except for things like body styling and number of cup holders. So what used to be special and unique, is now common and mundane.

--Chuck
Received on Thu Sep 06 2001 - 13:30:31 BST