What’s the straight dope on Chinese electronics that are sold very cheap? On another board, a trusted poster claimed the items he bought were exactly the same as the American versions. The site he shared had Mac laptops for $300, giant LCD TVs for $500, and even Honda motorcycles for $2,000. Obviously this sounds too good to be true. My source for this said these products aren’t knock-offs, but “clones,” meaning they are exactly the same. I am skeptical, but intrigued.
This is a semantic distinction, I expect.
They’re not going to be legitimate, licensed items. They’re generally not going to be manufactured to the same standards of quality control, and there is not likely to be any support if they don’t work as expected, or go wrong.
No no no no no! Is Sony guts.
I assumed as much. I also thought clone and knock-off were the same thing. But the person who posted about it said there was a difference.
They may very well be close in manufacturing and maybe even quality, but the big issue in gray-market items is support. If your high-tech thingy goes bad where do you get warranty work done? Oh, no warranty? I can fix it myself with the right parts. Can’t get the right parts? Oh well, it’s a paperweight now.
They’re not entirely the same thing. A knock-off implies something designed to look like the original. A clone, as he’s describing them, seems to mean ripped off parts. They still are crap–they replace the parts with really crappy parts that barely work.
I’ve seen an iPod Touch clone on YouTube (that I can’t seem to find now). It took a good minute to even resume from standby, and then would actually start dropping out while playing MP3. Touches wouldn’t register half the time, whether because it was slow or the screen just sucked.
Here’s the thing: the guy said it was one of the better clones he had ever seen.
If the quality was comparable, I’d say it was worth the risk. Odds are I wouldn’t need any support.
“I know a genuine Panaphonics when I see one!”
Well, maybe, except sometimes clone just means it does approximately the same thing or is to some degree intercompatible (consider the ‘IBM clones’ of the 80s).
I agree though that the implication here is probably:
‘knock off’ = Aplle IPQD - something that looks like the real thing only cosmetically
‘Clone’ = something that looks and behaves in a similar way to the original thing, maybe running a ripped version of the same OS and firmware, maybe even assembled out of parts rejected or purloined from the same production process.
If this is indeed the context, I would personally choose ‘knock off’ products over ‘clones’ - because they’re likely to be products in their own right - mutton dressed as lamb, rather than flaky attempts to fully replicate an original product.
I agree with Mangetout’s distinction between ‘knock-off’ and ‘clone’, especially as it applies to software: A clone of a piece of software is some other software that does the same job in close enough to the same fashion that other software dependent on the original will still function correctly with the clone. (More-or-less, dependent on how standardized the functionality is, the prevalence of patent lawsuits/DMCA notices, and the phase of the Moon.) Making software clones is perfectly respectable and a great way to break a harmful monopoly in a given market.
I’ve never heard of software knock-offs. Knock-offs are fraudulent, made with the intent to deceive unwary buyers, and the dishonest sellers in the software world are all making illegitimate copies of genuine software as opposed to trying to write their own.
So: ‘Clones’ can be respectable, whereas ‘knock-offs’ are always made with the intent to deceive.
This is not an electronic item, but Harbor Freight sells small gasoline engines (made in China, like everything they sell) that are exact clones of Honda engines. Apparently it is enough of a problem that Honda requires parts dealers to ask for a valid serial number before selling repair parts to the public.
it depends. Having lived in China for the past 12 years I’m fairly familiar with this subject. There are knock-offs that are pretty good but almost always made with inferior materials.
Clones usually were also made with cost saving materials but not always. Kinda like generic items in the supermarket.
There are some well made bargains to be had but generally speaking you get what you pay for.
I got a little dual band Chinese Ham radio recently. It was priced about a third of some of the better-known Japanese brands, and programming is a pain, but other than that, it is a good product with positive reviews.
Sorny is a much better brand.
what the brand?
Some items may be worth it, but do a lot of research first. I’ve never bought a clone/knock-off but have ran across people that have.
Smartphones: I’ve seen people online who thought they got a good deal on a smartphone, only to find that it didn’t run any operating system they were familiar with and all the words were in Chinese. The photos looked the same, but they felt cheap and lightweight. They ended up with a paperweight.
IP Cameras: Foscam is a good brand, they listen to users and implement improvements they suggest. They have regular firmware updates. I think they are made in China but they’re pretty good. There is another no-name brand that looks exactly the same, right down to the box. It works ok but it runs different software. You can’t get it to do everything it’s supposed to do and you can’t get firmware updates or support for it. Price difference is $80 vs $50, why bother with the cheap one?
Winches: This is more of a Harbor Freight tool type thing but some name brand winches are made in China, but they are made in their factory to their specs. Other cheaper no-name brand winches are made who-knows-where, often look somewhat like the big name brands and actually have an ok reputation although they have less reliable motors, cheaper components and slower operation. If they quit working, I’ve heard that Harbor Freight usually swaps them out no questions asked. Price difference can be $600-1000 vs $200. Worth it to many people.
Some people claim that there are “clone” products which are made by the same factory, but just siphoned off and sold cheaper. I’ve seen knock-off drivers (for golf) which are claimed to be this, and looked damn good, but there was a difference in performance.
YMMV
While you probably don’t want to get a knock-off/clone phone, the accessories can often be exactly the same thing without the name brand on it–or at least, they function just as well. Basic things like cell phone batteries, cell phone battery chargers, power supplies, etc.
I think cell phone stores make most of their profit selling accessories which are all made in China anyway, but have the name of the phone company stamped on them (Sprint, etc.) They lure you in to sign a plan with a free phone that otherwise would cost $100, and then while you’re in the store, they suggest you spend just as much or more on bluetooths, screen protectors, car chargers, etc. that would cost a third of the price if you got it directly from China.
Hell no! Magnetbox all the way.
Joe
To that I would add: “COBY”-this is a real cheap-ass brand-my Dad would buy this crap all the time!
Looks like SONY, costs 80% less…and sounds like “CRAP”!