Consumer Retorts: Hewlett-Packard

CONSUMER RETORTS

HEWLETT-PACKARD

Any idea where this printer came from?

FINDING AMERICAN-MADE electronics is hard enough without manufacturers actively thwarting your efforts. Surprisingly, the notoriously secretive Apple details right in its annual report where its iPods (Taiwan) and other products (China, Czech Republic, Ireland, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, and California) are assembled. Technology giant Hewlett-Packard, on the other hand, claims that some of its products are made in the US, but won’t discuss which ones. This despite the fact that HP lists where each product is made right on the packaging. “It’s not that HP is trying to make things difficult for consumers,” a spokeswoman told me. “Our decision for non-disclosure is based on issues of competitive advantage, intellectual property and accuracy. Hope this makes sense, even if it’s not the kind of detail you are looking for.” It doesn’t, and it isn’t.