In message <4FBAFC2ECF5D6244BA4A26C1C94A1E270D579C1CD9@exchange>, Emille Blanc <emi...@abccommunications.com> wrote:
>I can recall at least a half-dozen scenarios where the customer actually >takes up the problem with the manufacturer. In each of those cases, and >they're effectively told to push off because the devices are more than 12mo >old and outside the warranty period (paraphrasing customer statements and >all that), or similar canned response. Hate to namedrop on a public list, >but Linksys, D-Link, Buffalo, Netgear... "There's profit to be had." >Granted, It's been a while, at least ~18 months since I've had any such >feedback, so perhaps things are better in the wake of all the media >attention such vendors have seen from time to time. Not really. The fundamental economics have not changed. It pays to design and ship things. It doesn't pay to support them afterwards. This isn't going to change. It is common to include "goodwill" on the balance sheet, but unless I'm mistaken, for most companies this does not represent a significant fraction of shareholder equity. Regards, rfg
