I used to work for HP, they were great. Their computers were expensive but ultrareliable, and you not only got everything with a new system, you probably got 2 of everything. Then they spun us off into Agilent, got rid of all the original HP businesses, and HP kept the name for their PC/printer foray into the high-growth, mass-market world. Now Agilent has sold us off to Philips of the Netherlands. Guess what? We don't have to use HP PCs and printers anymore. Their loss, our gain.
Dude, you're gettin' a Dell!
You bring up a very good point. In this modern globalist world 'brand name' means nothing. The cash flushed division of whatever corporate giant may be sold off at any moment to raise capital for the top floor flyboys to finance their next stock option ripoff scheme. Thus unless you study Consumer Reports and ask a lot of questions about which company actually owns the 'brand name' you are enamored with ... you are going to get bit.
I just went through this with a Kitchen aid dishwasher. Widely known as the best dishwasher on the marked 8 years ago. Little did I know that Whirlpool had bought it two years prior to my $800 purchase. I got a lemon. 5 major repairs in 4 years and it does a poor job of washing dishes. I trashed it and got a Bosch machine. (oddly enough the machines with the Whirlpool brand on them are now top rated as to frequency of repair by CR)
So this time around I got a Sony VIAO. Sonny is presently in a brand building mode and is lapping up a big portion of the market. Their machines are not just an assemblage of parts as well. They actually make most of the components. Not that I love Sony and think they can do no wrong. Their cordless phones sucked last time I had one. But I sure like my flat screen Wega and this VIAO has me enthralled. For now.