All true, and that's why I always read reviews before making a purchase. Carl Popper, who was a leading philosopher of science in the last century, said about capitalism as a viable economic system is that it's prime mover is built upon the consumer buying the best product for the least amount of money, but the consumer doesn't and can't know what the best product is because standards are always changing. He said this in the 50s I believe.
That being the case, and it is the case, one may read a review and buy the "best product for the least amount of money," only to find that it has different electrical components than the reviewed item--only one month later. At least some motherboard manufacturers list where their capacitors (et. al.) come from so the consumer knows what he or she is getting. You won't find that on washing machines and other appliances.
Also, the phrase "lifetime warranty" can mean absolutely nothing. If a company changes ownership, it has the right to void warranties given beforehand. So a corporation could pump up it's profits on a "name brand" by using cheapo electronics, then turn around and sell the corporation voiding or limiting your "lifetime" warranty. Incidentally, the longest warranty any European business can give, if my memory serves me correctly, is 10 years.
The consumer just doesn't have enough time nor information to make truly knowledgeable purchases, which for Carl Popper, logically invalidated the system itself. This has been going on for centuries.
