Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (
More info?)
me/2 wrote:
> On Tue, 6 Jul 2004 00:14:25 -0600, "Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net>
> wrote:
>
>>> Barry Watzman wrote:
>>>> Your summary is correct. The quality difference between the
>>>> Toshiba-built Toshiba models and those built by Compal was (4 years
>>>> ago) huge, very hard to overstate -- they were not, for all
>>>> practical purposes, the same brands. That difference has narrowed
>>>> a bit (and I don't mean that to be sarcastic, the Compal models
>>>> have gotten better), but I'm uncertain as to the status of the
>>>> difference at this time.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> John R Rybock wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I've been looking into getting a notebook, and noticed some talk
>>>>> about Toshiba, which apparently has SOME of their models made by
>>>>> Compal. It sounds like the Compal is considered inferior, and
>>>>> there is a voltage difference you can look for to tell you which
>>>>> made which notebook.
>>>>>
>>>>> How big a difference is this is quality?
>>>>>
>>>>> Additionally, slightly off topic, but does anyone know if Toshiba
>>>>> makes its own PDA's? (as I've been very happy with the quality of
>>>>> my Toshiba PDA, and that's one reason I'm looking at their
>>>>> notebooks, I want to be sure I'm looking at the right computer
>>>>> maker.)
>>>
>>> Toshiba announced some months ago that they would no longer
>>> manufacture their own laptops, choosing - at the "suggestion" of
>>> their financiers - that outsourcing might save their failing laptop
>>> business. They will (AIRC) manufacture a limited set of laptops
>>> for the Japanese market, all other outsourced. Toshiba is joining
>>> all of the major laptop players (IBM, included) who are contracting
>>> with Asia, Inc. for laptops. At one time it was moderately
>>> conclusive that the 19.5 volt power adapters meant a Compal
>>> Toshiba. Today, who knows?
>>>
>>> Q
>>>
>
> I've seen the above posted by you a number of times now. Have you
> got some sources/links to back that up? I checked with a friend of
> mine that is the service manager at a Toshiba Premier ASP and he said
> they have not been given any information like that. He did say that
> more and more of the "consumer models" (Satellite) are being made by
> Compal but based on their contacts at Toshiba the business models
> (Tecra, Satellite Pro and Portege) are all still Toshiba built except
> for a few models built by Inventec. If you have links that prove
> otherwise I'm sure he would be interested in checking them out.
>
> Thanks,
> me/2
http
/www.toshiba.co.jp/about/ir/pdf/eng/20030916.pdf
This is the corporate statement on the reorganization of the notebook
business plan. This statement refers to increased dependence on ODM for
lower end laptops. Apparently, the financial community judged this to
be too little and too late. 9/16/2003
http/www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_22/b3885081.htm
Selected quotes:
For the year ended Mar. 31, Toshiba's $253 million profit, on sales of
$49 billion, was dragged down by the PC arm's $193 million loss. "We
could not adapt," concedes President Tadashi Okamura. "We were proud of
our quality, so it was difficult for us [to change]. That was our
mistake."
....
RUSH TO OUTSOURCE. The success of Okamura's plan, though, will depend on
whether he can fix the PC business. So he's planning to outsource *at
least half of Toshiba's PC production* [emphasis added] to Taiwanese
manufacturers, up from about 30% today. Most of the rest of Toshiba's
computers will be made at its factory in Hangzhou, China, while
production at Japanese plants will be cut by 75%, to 20,000 computers a
month -- just 4% of Toshiba's total.
....
And PCs are tougher than ever, as Dell and HP wage a brutal price war.
Unless Toshiba outsources more of its production, it won't be able to
compete because it will pay more for components than the
hypercompetitive Taiwanese manufacturers do.
....
There is a subsequent analysis, which I have yet to find that states 1)
Toshiba is significantly shrinking its Japanese computer R&D and 2)
except for high end computers for the Japanese market, most Tosh
production will be outsourced or spun off, presumably at the insistence
of its bankers. I'll post that when I find it.
Q
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