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From: ellis@flairvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Artificially different products
Message-ID: <144@flairvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Jun-83 17:32:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: flairvax.144
Posted: Thu Jun 30 17:32:19 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jul-83 04:55:31 EDT
Lines: 33


    A recent submission by Lauren about Bell answering machines --

     << If you paid less a month, you'd get "versions" that had
	progressively less incoming or outgoing message time.
	Subscribers were told that this was only fair, since
	different length tapes had to be installed, and cost varying
	amounts.  In reality, there was only ONE version of the
	model 700 Code-A-Phone.  If you didn't pay for the "maximum
	version", the installer would set a pair of little cams in
	the unit which would artificially limit the incoming and
	outgoing message times!  Talk about "creative" product
	design... >>

    ...reminds me of MANY instances I've seen in our own industry. For
    instance, one computer I worked with had two versions -- one with
    only one interrupt level, another with 4. For several thousand dollars
    the local rep would come in and install a new board -- all for show
    since the boards were identical except for a simple modification
    anyone in the know could easily perform.

    Another company I had experience with charged varying amounts of money
    for 'different versions' of a computer -- scientific, business, and
    personal, and each of these with various suboptions. But they were
    all the same -- the cheaper ones were simply "castrated" by disabling
    certain logic in PROM.

    I wonder how often this kind of thing happens. It strikes me as
    immoral and dishonest, a glimpse into the darker, self-destructive
    side of capitalism. Think of it, creating a good thing, and then
    partially breaking it to get more money for an unbroken one!

    Michael Ellis - Fairchild AI Lab - Palo Alto CA - (415) 858-4270