3 ms·

I'm with the group that thinks that this flash was probably made in the same factory that makes the real flashes. My question is why would the fake flash stop w

I'm with the group that thinks that this flash was probably made in the same factory that makes the real flashes. My question is why would the fake flash stop working? Why would a "fake" product, which in this case is more likely a product made in an extra factory shift, be more likely to fail than an official product?

keeperofdakeys 13y ago
I'd say good materials and QA. Naturally some batches of parts (like LCD screens) might have a higher chance of failure than other batches, which is usually known at manufacture time. Then QA, where "bad" products don't make it to consumers hands. Counterfeits would probably use more of these defective materials and go through less QA.
cheapsteak 13y ago
Perhaps these counterfeits were built using components that failed QA tests?
diydsp 13y ago
I'm with the two posters currently below me. When the factory runs out of the proper parts, they can do some "counterfeit" or sub-quality runs with near matches and most features will probably still work under most conditions. The simplest example I can think of would be components value such as capacitors and resistors. If a design uses an uncommon part value (like 5.0uF) and the factory runs out, they can build with a common value (like 4.7uF) and come very close. This is most likely to happen at the end of a production run. There aren't enough parts leftover for the actual quality device, but you can make substitutions and get some more near-quality units out instead of throwing out all of the rest of the good parts. Another example I could foresee from the OP is that different revs of firmware were available at different times. e.g. a bug was discovered after the ROMs were masked or flashed and that run of chips should have been destroyed but weren't. (Hell, they might still be upgradeable!) Ironically, the serial number was possibly intended to distinguish the official runs from sub-quality runs... The "counterfeiters" might not have been trying to fool everyone, but instead, to distinguish between official and ghost shifts. Welcome to the new age! :)
chiph 13y ago
Because the internals are sometimes not what you'd expect. http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works/2618014599/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works/2618014599/
DanBC 13y ago
I might have the unofficial staff to make the product, but not the unofficial staff to test the product as thoroughly. Or I take product that has already been rejected on test and ship it through my unofficial channel.

keeperofdakeys 13y ago

I'd say good materials and QA. Naturally some batches of parts (like LCD screens) might have a higher chance of failure than other batches, which is usually known at manufacture time. Then QA, where "bad" products don't make it to consumers hands. Counterfeits would probably use more of these defective materials and go through less QA.

cheapsteak 13y ago

Perhaps these counterfeits were built using components that failed QA tests?

diydsp 13y ago

I'm with the two posters currently below me. When the factory runs out of the proper parts, they can do some "counterfeit" or sub-quality runs with near matches and most features will probably still work under most conditions. The simplest example I can think of would be components value such as capacitors and resistors. If a design uses an uncommon part value (like 5.0uF) and the factory runs out, they can build with a common value (like 4.7uF) and come very close. This is most likely to happen at the end of a production run. There aren't enough parts leftover for the actual quality device, but you can make substitutions and get some more near-quality units out instead of throwing out all of the rest of the good parts. Another example I could foresee from the OP is that different revs of firmware were available at different times. e.g. a bug was discovered after the ROMs were masked or flashed and that run of chips should have been destroyed but weren't. (Hell, they might still be upgradeable!) Ironically, the serial number was possibly intended to distinguish the official runs from sub-quality runs... The "counterfeiters" might not have been trying to fool everyone, but instead, to distinguish between official and ghost shifts. Welcome to the new age! :)

chiph 13y ago

Because the internals are sometimes not what you'd expect. http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works/2618014599/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works/2618014599/

DanBC 13y ago

I might have the unofficial staff to make the product, but not the unofficial staff to test the product as thoroughly. Or I take product that has already been rejected on test and ship it through my unofficial channel.