[sci.electronics] Radio Shack's bad name

jbn@glacier.STANFORD.EDU (John B. Nagle) (11/23/88)

      Radio Shack is trying a new tack in dealing with their reputation as
a maker of low-quality electronics.  They've arranged to use the Panasonic
name, under licence from Mishibushi, on Tandy/Radio Shack machines.  
Panasonic doesn't sell computers in the U.S., so if you see Panasonic on
a computer, it comes from the people who brought us the Trash-80.

					John Nagle

markz@ssc.UUCP (Mark Zenier) (11/25/88)

In article <17863@glacier.STANFORD.EDU>, jbn@glacier.STANFORD.EDU (John B. Nagle) writes:
>       Radio Shack is trying a new tack in dealing with their reputation as
> a maker of low-quality electronics.  They've arranged to use the Panasonic
> name, under licence from Mishibushi, on Tandy/Radio Shack machines.  
                           ^^^^^^^^^^
I imagine that will come as a big surprise to the Matsushita Electric 
Industrial Co. Ltd, The folks that built my cassette recorder.

Mark Zenier    uunet!nwnexus!pilchuck!ssc!markz    markz@ssc.uucp
                      uw-beaver!tikal!

larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (11/26/88)

In article <1549@ssc.UUCP>, markz@ssc.UUCP (Mark Zenier) writes:
> >       Radio Shack is trying a new tack in dealing with their reputation as
> > a maker of low-quality electronics.  They've arranged to use the Panasonic
> > name, under licence from Mishibushi, on Tandy/Radio Shack machines.  
>                            ^^^^^^^^^^
> I imagine that will come as a big surprise to the Matsushita Electric 
> Industrial Co. Ltd, The folks that built my cassette recorder.

	On a related topic, over there years there have been several
"off-brand" (read: inferior) product lines offered by unscrupulous
vendors of consumer electronic products, with product names being
similar to those of quality manufacturers.  This practice is particularly
common with mail order firms, and is usually one step removed from
actual fraud.
	My all time favorite name is "Yahama" instead of the well-known
"Yamaha".  When I saw such a product advertised at an unbelievable low
price, I had to reread the copy several times before my eye noticed the
"catch".
	Caveat emptor.

<>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York
<>  UUCP:  {allegra|ames|boulder|decvax|rutgers|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry
<>  VOICE: 716/688-1231          {att|hplabs|mtune|utzoo|uunet}!/
<>  FAX:   716/741-9635 {G1,G2,G3 modes}   "Have you hugged your cat today?" 

bill@videovax.Tek.COM (William K. McFadden) (11/29/88)

In article <2795@kitty.UUCP> larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes:
->	My all time favorite name is "Yahama" instead of the well-known
->"Yamaha".  When I saw such a product advertised at an unbelievable low
->price, I had to reread the copy several times before my eye noticed the
->"catch".

Yeah.  I once had a "Sankyo" cassette deck.  This name was interesting, since
the well-known brand "Sanyo" was not considered all that great, either.
-- 
Bill McFadden    Tektronix, Inc.  P.O. Box 500  MS 58-639  Beaverton, OR  97077
UUCP: bill@videovax.Tek.COM,  {hplabs,uw-beaver,decvax}!tektronix!videovax!bill
GTE: (503) 627-6920    Silliest new cartoon title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles