Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!apple!desnoyer From: desnoyer@Apple.COM (Peter Desnoyers) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Ethics of crippler circuitry Message-ID: <25740@apple.Apple.COM> Date: 13 Feb 89 18:52:37 GMT References: <7143@pyr.gatech.EDU> <11630010@hpsmtc1.HP.COM> <4602@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> <750@pccuts.pcc.amdahl.com> Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA Lines: 35 In article js9b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jon C. Slenk) writes: > >In article <4602@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> jackg@tekirl.LABS.TEK.COM (Jack Gjovaag) >writes: > >The ethics of adding "crippling" circuitry to an otherwise high > >performance machine to fill a gap in a product line is not at all > >clear to me. > >One must realize that a company has every right to do whatever they wish to do >with thier stuff. If they believe they can reap better profits by 'crippling' a >machine and selling it as low-end with lots-o-sales, then they have every right >to. > >If someone makes something, they can do what they wish with it. > >Sincerely, >Jon Slenk / js9b CMU. This is a dangerous ethic to have in any industry - that it is o.k. to withold any and all information from a customer in the name of profit. The customer is going to feel cheated if they find out that their $10k upgrade consists of removing a wire. Solution - don't tell them. The customer is going to feel cheated if they find out that your product isn't as reliable as they want - solution, don't tell them. Etc. Crippler circuitry is not illegal; I would hesitate to call it immoral. However, I ask how anyone can feel that they have acted professionally when they design such a piece of equipment. There are other solutions - one company I know of (not my current employer) had a problem with its new low-end product being too fast. They solved it by publishing _very_ conservative performance specs. (it wasn't a computer, so it wasn't easy to benchmark yourself.) The customers never complained when it worked a bit better than they were told it would. Peter Desnoyers