Meaning of OEM

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You live in a country that maintains better consumer laws than most. In
the US and Canada, each province or state determines the laws
surrounding warranty.

As it happens, I live in a province that has similar Sale of Goods
legislation and offers similar protection, although it is harder to
enforce, just because more retailers don't seem to be aware or recognize
it. That means you pretty much have to go through the legal process to
prove what a reasonable expectation is for a specific product.

I agree with the concept, and I wish it were better enforced overall,
and particularly in my province where it is (at least in theory) the law.

Art
 
Since you quoted me, I'll respond.

At no time did I state or imply that OEM was not as well made or
inferior product. It may be of special spec that differs from the retail
version, or not. The reason it sells for less is it is a product that is
sold as a wholesale product to builders who then resell the goods, often
in quantity. However, OEM is often also sold without warranty or with a
shorter warranty, because the warranty is taken over by the
installer/builder, not by the end user.

In general, it is not meant to be sold to end users directly (that's why
it often is without software or instructions). If an end user buys it,
if the warranty is even considered valid, it will be the same one
offered the installer/builder, which is often less than the retail
version. That doesn't mean it is poorer quality, just that it sells for
less because it has a lower liability to the manufacturer. Warranties
are costly to cover.

Art
 
So... in the UK the car conks out ya get a parking ticket.....
"Oh dear we can't fix that hear, twill have to go to the
garage" say's the mechanic.

So this here part is ordered...... is it OEM if its a Ford part or is
it OEM if it's a Ford approved part... do they really make their own
nuts and bolts..?

Think we been here before in these pages with OEM petrol or
gasoline...?

So it's back to the good ol' ink, would MAP not have been simpler....
Manufacturer Approved Part.... or MRP Manufacturers Recommended
Part.

It all depends on what you mean by equipment, is an ink tank is bit
of equipment, ink delivery equipment perhaps...?

Davy
 
Having worked for General Motors in parts specifications, I do know
the meaning of OEM, or Original Equipment Manufacturer. It is not
'other equipment manufacturer'. However there are 'other' OEMs.

An OEM is the original assembler or manufacturer of a good, which may,
or may not, consist of a collection or assembly of other goods.

This statement is reiterative, i.e. OEMs can have OEMs, who in turn
can have OEMs, etc., until you get down to the last bitty component.

However. an 'OEM' version of an item, is not so named in reference to
the OEM that assembled or manufactured it, but rather in reference to
the market for which that version of the item is intended, i.e. to be
sold to other OEMs as a component in their products. Similarly, a
'retail' version is to be sold as a separate, standalone item at the
retail level. The differences between the two versions may be
cosmetic, functional, value-added, or none at all, but it almost
always involves packaging.

The difference between the meaning of OEM versus OEM-version should
now be clear as mud... ;-D

In as far as the functionality or content of an OEM version of an
item, it may be the same as, or lesser or greater than a retail
version of the item, if so specified by the purchasing OEM (who
intend on using the item as a component in their own product) from
the manufacturing OEM.

In my book, if the OEM version specs are different from the retail
version, the item is no longer the same item, though it may be
marketed that way by unscrupulous retailers (caveat emptor).

OEM versions of products are not intended for sale to the general
public, but only to other OEMs for use in their goods.

This helps explain Microsoft's policy with their operating systems:

An OEM (version) license is sold to an OEM as component of a specific
OEM-manufactured computer, and thus is not transferable to another
computer. It is not intended to be sold separately.

A retail (version) license is not intended for an OEM's use as part of
a specific OEM-manufactured computer. It is intended for separate
retail sale to an individual for use on any one computer, and thus is
transferable.

Both are eligible for upgrade, though I don't believe upgrading would
change the conditions of the original license, unless specifically
stated in the EULA of the upgrade.

Confusing, ain't it?
 
Further to my previous post... it is all in the context, and it is
essentially 'OEM-manufactured' vs. 'OEM-version' vs. 'OEM-quality'.

Ask for clarification, and ask yourself if it is:

OEM manufactured - made for or by the original equipment
manufacturer.
OEM version - made for other OEMs as a component.
OEM quality - similar to, but not made by or for the OEM.
 
Arthur said:
Since you quoted me, I'll respond.

So you don't respond when people don't quote you. Makes sense!
At no time did I state or imply that OEM was not as well made or
inferior product.


Those "no frills" peripherals or parts (spares) aren't "no frills". They are
*surplus* OEM product which was manufactured and packaged for the wholesale
manufacturers of finished goods, at a discount due to either quantity,
*quality*, feature set changes or lack of extras and perhaps warranty length.
It may be of special spec that differs from the retail
version, or not.

If you buy, say, an AMD ATHLON64 3500+, OEM or retail, you get the same
processor. If you buy a no name, no model something, you get a no name, no
model something. It's that simple.
The reason it sells for less is it is a product that is
sold as a wholesale product to builders who then resell the goods, often
in quantity.

They're also sold to large retail stores...
However, OEM is often also sold without warranty or with a
shorter warranty, because the warranty is taken over by the
installer/builder, not by the end user.

with exactly the same warranty as a boxed model.
In general, it is not meant to be sold to end users directly

OEM equipment is now also meant to be sold to end users. That's the sone way
retailing is done these days. As for warranties, one should inquired and it's
certainly a good idea to have it written down on the bill. Computer retailing
is a cutthroat business ans retailers are often not very keen on providing
"details" such as warranties. This said, trayed or boxed makes no difference.
 
Regarding the inks, I would love to see the manufacturers legislated to
providing some type of minimum standard the ink has to meet to be MAP or
whatever you'd like to call it, such as engine oil receives. However,
that requires a pretty involved independent infrastructure, and besides
which the manufacturers have no interest in authorizing other ink
brands. Unless they can considerably increase the cost of the printers
at retail again, (as they were when they first were introduced) anything
that cuts into ink sales and profits is a no-no for them.

Art
 
Your posting had very little to do specifically to the quote of mine you
used nor with my comments on the subject, however, since you quoted me,
I felt I should reply to your general commentary, and that is why I made
that comment regarding being quoted and replying.

In regard to the additional quote you used below, in which you refer to
my use of the word QUALITY, you will note there was no adjective
connected to that word. I stated that OEM products are not "no frills"
(and they are not), but that they could differ from a retail version in
a list of areas, which could include, quantity (in the box or in the
purchase (case lot), quality (either better or worse, I didn't make any
distinction intentionally) feature set changes (again, I did not state
more or less features, just that they might be different), and or
warranty length. The fact is that an OEM product is not necessary
identical to the retail version, and may have unique specifications, and
more importantly, they are products that are not intended for retail
market, and are sold there due to reasons not intended by the original
supplier of the product.

Once again, if these OEM items are sold to retail stores, they are not
sold for direct resale to the end user. That is not the intention of
an OEM good, ask ANY true supplier of OEM packaged goods.

If OEM is being used as a marketing model it is not true OEM. It's just
a way of cutting corners on packaging so the product can be sold to the
same market for less, those are not true OEM goods and it is not the
intent of OEM products. I am not stating that some manufacturers may
not have decided to use this business model to sell their goods, just
that it is not the real meaning of the term and market structure of OEM
goods.

If an identical product is being sold with identical warranty at
substantial price reduction where the only difference is the color or
nature of the packaging, and that product is legitimately available to
the end user, it is no longer OEM goods, and what kind of idiot would
pay the premium for a whiter box?

Art
 
Arthur said:
Your posting had very little to do specifically to the quote of mine you
used nor with my comments on the subject, however, since you quoted me,
I felt I should reply to your general commentary, and that is why I made
that comment regarding being quoted and replying.

In regard to the additional quote you used below, in which you refer to
my use of the word QUALITY, you will note there was no adjective
connected to that word. I stated that OEM products are not "no frills"
(and they are not), but that they could differ from a retail version in
a list of areas, which could include, quantity (in the box or in the
purchase (case lot), quality (either better or worse, I didn't make any
distinction intentionally) feature set changes (again, I did not state
more or less features, just that they might be different), and or
warranty length. The fact is that an OEM product is not necessary
identical to the retail version, and may have unique specifications, and
more importantly, they are products that are not intended for retail
market, and are sold there due to reasons not intended by the original
supplier of the product.

Pffff... So, you buy a trayed 62W AMD Athlon 64 3500+ with an AM2 socket in
Singapour, New-York or Timbuktu and might not get the same processor? We're
not living in the same world. I give up.
 
Davy said:
So... in the UK the car conks out ya get a parking ticket.....
"Oh dear we can't fix that hear, twill have to go to the
garage" say's the mechanic.

So this here part is ordered...... is it OEM if its a Ford part or is
it OEM if it's a Ford approved part... do they really make their own
nuts and bolts..?
No, but if you go to a Ford dealer you get a part as used by Ford in
their manufacture of the car.

But "OEM" related to computer parts etc. does *not* mean this, it's
not a part as used by (say) Dell in the manufacture of your particular
model of Dell computer. It's simply a retail label/description that
means this item has no 'frills', no software, no retail packaging,
etc.
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote in @news.gradwell.net:
No, but if you go to a Ford dealer you get a part as used by Ford in
their manufacture of the car.

Or no, just something which matches their specification, and ordered
through them. The same part made for the dealerships part departments
could be a whole other manufacturer, or other design from the same
manufacturer (to fix "concerns" or improve the part), than that made for
the factory.
But "OEM" related to computer parts etc. does *not* mean this, it's
not a part as used by (say) Dell in the manufacture of your particular
model of Dell computer. It's simply a retail label/description that
means this item has no 'frills', no software, no retail packaging,
etc.

It could mean built for Dell (custom firmware, bezels, connectors, screw
fittings, labellings, markings, colors), or it could be an "off the
shelf" design Dell approves of, and orders.
 
Gary Tait said:
(e-mail address removed) wrote in @news.gradwell.net:


It could mean built for Dell (custom firmware, bezels, connectors, screw
fittings, labellings, markings, colors), or it could be an "off the
shelf" design Dell approves of, and orders.
It *could* mean those things but I've yet to find any computer
retailer here in the UK where it *does* mean those things!
 
You should give up. You don't know what you don't seem to be able to
fully grasp what I am stating. I stated they "could differ" not that
they necessarily do. However, they definitely differ in one fashion, if
not others, and that is that they are designated OEM, which means they
are going to have OEM warranties, and those often do differ
significantly from nonOEM.

And further, I am not speaking of any specific product and you are hung
up on one product you claim has identical qualities.

Art
 
It *could* mean those things but I've yet to find any computer
retailer here in the UK where it *does* mean those things!

Thats because the "OEM" product that happens makes it to the retail stream
is generic OEM, not custom OEM products for major manufacturers like Dell.
 
Gary Tait said:
Thats because the "OEM" product that happens makes it to the retail stream
is generic OEM, not custom OEM products for major manufacturers like Dell.

Which is why I made my original comment, to the humble 'ordinary' user
in the UK OEM means "cheap and without frills" when talking about
computer parts.
 
Gary said:
(e-mail address removed) wrote in



Thats because the "OEM" product that happens makes it to the retail stream
is generic OEM, not custom OEM products for major manufacturers like Dell.

That is a joke. Seagate that sells to Dell also sells retail (boxed
with rails etc) and OEM packs where a box may hold 24 drives. The
vendor then either sells them individually or uses them in white boxes
and the cost is usually less.
 
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