From: Emanuel Brown (epbrown_at_enteract.com)
Date: Fri Dec 04 1998 - 21:36:54 EST
On Fri, 04 Dec 1998 16:45:15 -0800, you wrote:
>Can anybody explain the difference between "business" and other
>"non-business" models from an IBM standpoint?
Not just IBM, but the majority of laptop makers have different
ideas about consumer and business models. Usually, a consumer laptop
will come with lots of extra (mostly useless) software installed,
while corps are expected to want to roll out their own configs and
have whatever software they want written, licensed, and ready to load.
It also tends to have less support, perhaps isn't designed as
rigorously as the other models, and uses more esoteric components.
They're also cheaper, usually.
Meanwhile, business models tend to be more expensive because
corporations and governments are as dollar-conscious. The manufacturer
supports a variety of operating systems to accommodate the client who
may be running various software for any number of reasons, and who
definitely isn't going to change his entire company's platform to use
a few laptops. Support is more comprehensive (international, better
turn-around time, etc) because the corporate customer will likely keep
the system for years (until last year, my boss had a 386 desktop! The
VP in charge of my department is chugging away on a 755 with 486
chip.) The model (if possible) is made with as standard parts as
possible so as not to cause support trouble within the company. Note
that the 310 and i-series don't have NT support while IBM offers
drivers for DOS/ Windows 3.x, Windows 9x, Windows NT, and OS/2 as a
matter of course for other models.
I've had experience with both, since my IBM 560 is supported out
the wazoo, while Sony's chief support options are
1) Run Windows 98 exactly as shipped, and if problems occur
2) Re-install Windows 98.
It's culture shock after so many Thinkpads, but fun for a bunch of
users to get together and develop workarounds, too.
Not all companies are as drastically different as Sony and Big Blue
in their approaches - Toshiba simply loads different software bases on
consumer models, but supports each about equally. But all of them tend
to have the same philosophies.
epbrown
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