From: Cox, Dave
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 10:57 AM
To: Boyle, Bob
Subject: Let's talk about the concept of 'Name Brand' as it applies to laptop computers.
Virtually none of the "Name" brands manufacture their own laptops, with the only exceptions being Asus, Twinhead and Apple, and even Twinhead and Apple do not make all of their own.
All of the rest buy their laptops from what is called an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM). These ODMs sell their computers to several different OEMs who then install the Hard Drive (usually an Hitachi or Toshiba), Processor and System Memory. They then put their label on it and market it.
For example:
An ODM named Clevo makes the Sager NP5690 and the original Alienware Area 51-M, the Voodoo MClass M550, the Hypersonic Aviator GX6, and they are all the same computer. Clevo also makes the Sager NP8790, the Falcon Northwest Fragbook DL, and the Voodoo Envy M:780, and they are also the same computer.
Of course the Sager models have a much sweeter price tag!
An ODM named Compal makes some of the DELL, Hewlett Packard and Compaq line of laptops, as well as the PowerPro M 5:6, PowerPro M 5:14, and the PowerPro M 6:33.
Asus, famous worldwide for their top quality motherboards and other components, also makes their own laptops, and the PowerPro C 3:17 and the PowerPro C 3:12.
The Dell Latitude and the Sony Vaio are made by Quanta, who also makes many of the IBM laptops, and the now-discontinued PowerPro C 3:16. Quanta is well known as the best and highest quality laptop ODM in the world.
The Micron Transport Treck and Treck 2 are made by GVC. Compaq is actually manufactured by companies called Inventec (Armada and Prosignia lines) and Arima (Presario line).
Other ODM names are Mitac, FIC, and Uniwill, among others. Not exactly what you would call "Name" brands, and yet it is their laptops that end up with the "Name" brands on them.
Sager and Pro-Star Computers are made by Clevo. Clevo is one of the largest, and best, in the world.