General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCompanies that use Foxconn...
Acer Inc. (Taiwan)
Amazon.com (United States)[27]
Apple Inc. (United States)[28]
ASRock (Taiwan)
Asus (Taiwan)
Barnes & Noble (United States)
Cisco (United States)
Dell (United States)
EVGA Corporation (United States)
Hewlett-Packard (United States)[29]
Intel (United States)
IBM (United States)
Lenovo (China)
Logitech (Switzerland)
Microsoft (United States)
MSI (Taiwan)
Motorola (United States)
Netgear (United States)
Nintendo (Japan)
Nokia (Finland)[28]
Panasonic (Japan)
Philips (Netherlands)
Samsung (South Korea)[30]
Sharp (Japan)
Sony Ericsson (Japan/Sweden)[31]
Toshiba (Japan)
Vizio (United States)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn#Major_customers
For those who care.
FredisDead
(392 posts)Apple
http://imgur.com/a/gIMQc
Eid Ma Clack Shaw
(490 posts)They are students, Hong Kong union members and workers rights groups quite rightly calling for better conditions.
Facts, please.
If you'd offered this, pertaining to workers making Microsoft Xbox 360s, perhaps your post would have offered legitimacy:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-10-workers-at-xbox-360-plant-threaten-mass-suicide
FredisDead
(392 posts)not linked to working conditions.
http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/careers/3329638/microsoft-says-foxconn-protest-not-linked-to-working-conditions/
Microsoft investigated a workers protest at its contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group, and found that the dispute in Wuhan, China had nothing to do with working conditions, and was related to staffing assignments and transfer policies, the company claims.
Zalatix
(8,994 posts)FredisDead
(392 posts)Apple does have a long history of lying to consumers.
From June 6, 2006
Foxconn's PR then made life worse for Apple by saying that a team from the Cupertino based outfit had investigated its operations and given it the thumbs up.
Zalatix
(8,994 posts)I believe they were slave driving workers to make Xboxes and Xbox-related stuff. I also believe they were slave driving workers to make Apple products. I believe that ALL corporations, if they can get away with it, will do that. The ones that get caught might or might not make a big show of apologizing and claim they want to fix things. Bullshit. They won't fix shit. None of them will. The problems at Foxconn will get worse, they'll just get better at hiding it.
I'm not a MS fan, an Apple fan, or any fan of any corporation EVER, not even Costco. I give them props when they're nice but if it's a corporation you had better believe your best bet is to watch your ass because at some point they will screw you.
All corporations are sociopaths. It's in the nature of being a corporation. Profits over people. Do what you will to make a buck as long as you don't get busted too badly. If you do, throw someone under the bus, be more secretive, and get back to a^&-f!#king the workers. Microsoft, Apple, Maxell, Sony, it doesn't matter. Turn your back on any of them and they'll all do what a corporation is designed to do: get the most work and productivity for the lowest cost possible, no matter what it takes.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)It's like people pushing Icelandic whaling when Japan kills 10x-100x as many.
You go after the most profitable, the largest companies first.
Eid Ma Clack Shaw
(490 posts)That is just Foxconn, by the way. Not total made in third world countries.
Consider how many of our day-to-day items are made in adverse conditions in economically deprived nations.
You have to sit down and think about the bigger picture.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)I don't want to hear this moral purity crap, it doesn't make it OK that Foxconn makes all that stuff, it doesn't make it OK that Apple is "just another business partner."
Eid Ma Clack Shaw
(490 posts)Is coming from those who single out one company and ignore that the majority of the stuff is being used elsewhere, including in their own computers. Unless you think that Apple represents 40% of the world's consumer electronic market.
Going full tilt for Apple doesn't serve to solve the problem or even look towards a solution, it just 'shames' one company while everyone else gets with doing business and building their products as they have for the last couple of decades.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)Apple is the largest contributor.
This moral equivalence is bullshit. Why the list? Do you think it's OK?
Eid Ma Clack Shaw
(490 posts)The point is that if we were serious about looking at this we wouldn't just be looking at the biggest contributer who, overall, will still represent a relatively small slice of the pie, we would be ruminating on our entire culture, our global economy and just how reliant we are on this sort of labour. That is what we would be doing if we wanted to seriously address the issue instead of phoney moral outrage from people who'll slump back into their seats, fire up their Chinese PCs and then ONLY adopt a ranty stance when it comes to one company.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)You don't stand around diddling showing a big list of everyone else who, in some cases, are selling stuff with very low margins. An iPhone sold for 3x-5x the cost to manufacture is bullshit ($649.00 to $849.00, at $180 to make). You can go get a Foxconn motherboard for only a few dollars above manufacturing cost, if you're poor, and can't afford to buy a new computer, you can go that route, and build your own, and I don't blame those who do it.
But Apple is the pure definition of venture capitalist robber barons who sell their tech for outrageous prices while exploiting very low cost labor.
Eid Ma Clack Shaw
(490 posts)I understand where you're coming from, but I disagree. I simply don't think that the real issue will ever be addressed by focusing rabidly on one company, often - and I'm not referring to anyone in particular here - with factually lazy methods. It's really that straightforward, but obviously you think a different approach is necessary.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)If you put pressure on them, then the end result for all contributors, is that everyone is better off. So sorry, the pressure must be on Apple.
girl gone mad
(20,634 posts)They are raking in money hand over fist, yet refuse to toss an extra nickel toward the suppliers. No company on this list hoards money the way Apple does. They are greedy for the sake of greed and nothing more. Fuck Apple.
OhioChick
(23,218 posts)piratefish08
(3,133 posts)fucking ALL OF THEM....
children are sick and dying in the Congo from breathing toxic fumes all day long before anythings manufactured.
The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)You start with looking at the biggest benefactors and put pressure on them (easier to focus on one company than many).
For years apple fans were all about how apple was different. They had the 'progressive' label in many ways.
I don't expect Acer, MSI, etc to do the right thing, but all I heard before was "Microsoft is evil, Apple is good" and now when it does not appear that way the apple fans are like "see, others do it so it is OK if Apple does!"
The fanboys got taken for a ride. We expected other companies to do the wrong thing, but the wonderful Apple?
Somewhere, Bill Gates is laughing his ass off.
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)Framing the debate around hypocrisy does change things a little.
I use a Dell, which is on the list, but I also own an iPod Shuffle.
The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)Apple is the big dog in the room - focus on getting one to change and others would follow.
Their brand was built on Think Different. There has always been a smugness, Apple good, Microsoft bad.
Now that the company is being called on bad practices the defense is "look over there, other companies are doing it too, why single us out?"
Well, maybe because you marketed yourself as different for so long.
You weren't different, you just snowballed a bunch of people into thinking you were.
If you want to be different, then do it - be different.
FredisDead
(392 posts)It's my guess that Bill Gates is above that, Bill has been busy helping the poor.
The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)at least Gates is trying to do something different