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Compaq Attempts to Muscle eMachines in Court
Anonymous Coward writes "Compaq is suing eMachines for patent infringement, but the real reason might be that
eMachines is invading their sub-$1000 market. Sounds too similar to the Packard Bell story. " (The Packard Bell reference is explained in the linked-to article in case you don't remember Compaq's similar suit against Packard Bell back in 1994.)
I don't think I'd use one as my primary machine, but as a low cost mid-range server running FreeBSD they'd be excellent. Just pop in a NIC and there you go.
Now if only you didn't have to pay the M$ tax...
The only "unusual" things I can think of regarding the eMachines:
1) the joystick and USB ports on the front. Has Compaq patented this?
2) The non-standard power supply. Compaq loves putting non-standard components into their computers, have they patented non-standard power supplies?
3) The "eMachine" logo instead of the normal BIOS screen upon bootup. Has Compaq patented having the company logo on the BIOS screen?
My impression is that these are stock generic machines using a generic chipset, but with a sorta nifty case. At best Compaq might be saying that the case is too similar?
Oh, regarding quality of eMachines: Buy the refurbished ones (you can get them at Fry's and etc.). The nice thing about buying a refurbished one is that you know that anything broken was fixed.
-E
Send mail here if you want to reach me.
Innovation train? You mean being able to boot off of the CD-ROM? For cryin' out loud, eMachines didn't even add that capability to their computer, it was built into the AMI BIOS that they purchased to use in their machine. What next, is Compaq going to sue me because I have an ASUS P2B motherboard in my machine that will boot off of CD-ROM?
I repeat: These eMachines are so generic that it's pitiful. They don't make a single component in their system with possibly the exception of the case, and every component in their system (except the case) is identical to that in millions of other computers sold every year by manufacturers large and small. It is obvious that this is just a blatant attempt by Compaq to destroy competition in the low-end computer market. I'm ashamed that a company that has paid so much attention to Linux in the past year or so has done such a thing. But oh, I forget, it was the Digital side of the company that paid attention to Linux, not the Texans in Houston...
-E
Send mail here if you want to reach me.
Now, in 1999, they are suing someone for allegedly cloning them.
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My problem here is this: My first IBM compat computer was a PB 386SX-16. A computer that lasted for 5 long years w/o any major problems. When the Class Action Suit came out for all PB users I had to laugh... It stated that any machine bought before a certain time was guaranteed another 5 years of warranty... Now, the reason that this is so funny is #1 -- I had a 386SX-16 that was already 5 years old and had been relinquished to serving as a BBS. #2 -- How many people really use the same machine for 5 years? #3 -- If they were so terrible that we needed to file a classaction suit, why would you want to have the items in the lawsuit add more to a warranty for a computer that wasn't working for you in the first place?
.02
Now, as far as PB using crappy parts in their machines (and as far as the class action suit stated, refurbished parts in new machines) -- what company on the market today doesn't sell their machines w/Winmodems (as we all know the lowest of the low on our hardware lists) or w/Winprinters, or w/some other god awful device that really only works in Windows? I think that we just need to stop crying and fess up that you get what you pay for...
Just my worthless
A few points as you enlighten yon Mac user...
A new PC can probably boot from a CD, depending on its BIOS. Not all PC's can, however; booting from a CD-ROM drive isn't always supported in older machines' BIOS. With those older machines, just running Linux or a *BSD won't help you boot from a CD if your BIOS won't allow it.
Your right to not believe: Americans United for Separation of Church and
One that stands out in my mind is 5,724,226: Housing Access Door Construction for a Portable Computer Docking Station. I didn't think emachines made either portables or docking stations.
The other patents cover a variety of generic PC stuff, including one that looks a lot like the infamous XOR cursor patent. IMHO, Compaq is casting a pretty wide net here, throwing any of its patents marginally related to generic PC hardware at emachines. They wouldn't dare do this to a bigger player without expecting countersuits for violating that company's patent portfolio. I guess they think that emachines doesn't have any patent portfolio of their own.
Prediction: this will get settled out of court for "an undisclosed sum." It's entirely FUD.
Apparently, when one computer maker comes up with a new revolutionary idea, they cross license it to other manufacturers and the other manufacturers do the same. Apparently, emachines was taking a free ride on the innovation train run by the other manufacturers
(From MSNBC)
From Yahoo
The technology in question, including selectable resolution monitor systems and a system designed to boot from CD-ROM or tape, is basic to PC systems.
(They also mention that the result of the earlier PB lawsuits that Compaq filed was the PB had to pay Compaq for 5 years of Patent royalties. The other sources don't mention that)
Information for your digestion on the matter
SP
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." - Voltaire
Okay, I work at Compaq (as a summer intern), and I saw the internal story on this. There are about 13 patents in question, and I would say at least half of them shouldn't have been approved in the first place. I can't give the details because the stupid screen says "Compaq Confidential: Need to Know".
The patents are all vague and trivial. Yeah, Compaq may be going down. But to be fair, they are really trying to turn it around, not just sue everybody because they can't think of anything else.
------- Driver carries less than 64K of cache.
Yes, I too would love to see just what the brilliant Compaq patents are that E Machines is using without permission. I've seen too many trivial and unoriginal patents to believe this without so much as a description of the intellectual property involved.
Is anyone aware of the substance of this suit?
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