The problem is you can't trust a model number of SSD. They change controllers, chips, etc after the reviews are out and they can start skimping on components.
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/adata-and-other-ssd-makers...
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/adata-and-other-ssd-makers...
Whataboutism is like this:
"Russia invading Ukraine is bad"
"What about the US? They invaded Iraq!"
The latter is used to justify the former, when it shouldn't.
FTFY, unless you use the YYYY-WW date format. But please don't use just two digits for year numbers, we should have learn from Y2K years ago.
And no switching the chipset to a different supplier requiring entirely different drivers between the XYZ1001 and the XYZ1001a, either.
If I ruled the world I'd do it via trademark law: if you don't follow my set of sensible rules, you don't get your trademarks enforced.
This wasn't the first incident, but after such a blatant set of quality control failures I'll never intentionally select or work with a Dell product again.
What has changed is that most of the drivers are self-updating, so they can configure that at the factory. So, yes, the basic configuration has gotten better.
What has not changed is that Dell basically does grab-bag components in their systems and just because you have two machines of the same model# and rev#, does NOT mean that you have the same two machines.
This means that Dell has substandard abilities to 1) control their supply chain, 2) track and fix problems, 3) diagnose problems in the field, 4) prevent problems.
But sure, because Microsoft is now doing a far better job of auto-configuration in it's OS products, the setup problem is mitigated.
I avoid Dell like the plague, and advise everyone else to do the same. Sure, you may know someone who got away with it for a long time — there's usually some good items in a grab-bag — but the systemic reliability is just not there.
But who is still trustwoethy.
Is this based on empirical evidence or something? My sample size isn't very big, but I haven't really noticed any correlation between this practice and whether the product is crappy. I just chalked this up to manufacturers colluding with retailers to stop price matches, rather than because "clearly both shit or they wouldn’t try to hide in the herd".
Don't throw the "meaningful long model numbers"-baby out with the "intentionally opaque model numbers"-bathwater.
Right now if a trustworthy manufacture kept the same hardware for an extended period of time they would not be noticed, and no one could easily tell. Because many manufacturers are swapping components with the same model number it is poisoning the well for everyone. If the law forced model number changes then you could see that there are 20 good reviews for this exact model number and all of the other drives only have reviews for different model numbers. All of a sudden that constant model number is a valuable differentiator for a careful consumer.
AFAIK samsung does this, but it doesn't really help anyone except enthusiasts because the packaging still says "980 PRO" in big bold letters, and the actual model number is something indecipherable like "MZ-V8P1T0B/AM". If this was a law they might even change the model number randomly for CYA/malicious compliance reasons. eg. firmware updated? new model number. DRAM changed, but it's the same spec? new model number. changed the supplier for the SMD capacitors? new model number. PCB etchant changed? new model number.
980 PRO
MZ-V8P6T0B/AM
If that works that'll probably be because of the novelty factor. Once it wears off everyone will just tune out the meaningless jumble of letters and only look at much memorable marketing name. See also: prop 65 warnings.
Judges are a bit smarter than linters, they can tell when someone is fucking with them
Also I really don't see this being something that judges will stop. You see other CYA behavior that has persisted for decades, eg. drug side effects (every possible symptom under the sun), or prop 65 warnings.
There are alternatives to interchangeable parts, and none of them are good for consumers. And that is what you're talking about - the only reason for any part to supplant another in feature or performance or cost is if manufacturers can change them !
What if it wasn't at the manufacturer's discretion; the assembler just (knowingly or unknowingly) had some cheaper knock-off in?
Edit: Being mad and making mistakes go hand in hand. FTC is the appropriate organization to go after these guys.
>CFPB
"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is an agency of the United States government responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector. CFPB's jurisdiction includes banks, credit unions, securities firms, payday lenders, mortgage-servicing operations, foreclosure relief services, debt collectors, and other financial companies operating in the United States. "
About "commercial applications", let's face it. Those "enterprise solutions" cost way higher not because they are 10-1000x times "better", but because they contain generous "bonuses" for senior stuff.