如果您曾经购买过计算机部件或操作系统，您可能会遇到一个神秘的反复出现的首字母缩略词——OEM。
在当今的技术世界中，很容易迷失在缩写词和令人困惑的行话的海洋中。与您在电视市场上不会停止听到有关4K、UHD 和 2160p(4K, UHD, and 2160p)的消息类似，如果您曾经关注 PC 硬件和软件， OEM是一个不可避免的术语。(OEM)
在这篇文章中，我们来谈谈OEM是什么意思，以及是什么让标有首字母缩写词的产品特别。
OEM 是什么意思？(What Does OEM Mean?)
OEM 代表原始设备制造商(original equipment manufacturer)——通俗地说，就是制造或销售产品的人。OEM 产品的制造不是为了零售用途，而是为了销售和分发给构建系统的公司。
虽然我们将讨论这与电子产品的关系，但OEM是您在其他行业（例如汽车）中也可以找到的首字母缩略词。汽车也是系统。
OEM 零件与零售零件有何不同？(How Do OEM Parts Differ from Retail Parts?)
OEM 零件通常包装在没有品牌文字的普通棕色盒子或包装纸中，而零售商品的包装是为了展示并考虑到消费者。
由于这些产品不打算出现在商店货架上，因此将它们包装得更有吸引力所需的超额支出没有多大意义。然而，当网上购物开始繁荣时，情况发生了变化。
OEM零件现在有时可以在网上商店中找到，而对消费者友好的包装并不是一个卖点。平淡无奇的包装可以带来很大的节省。
OEM 有哪些例子？(What Are Some Examples of OEMs?)
当您从 HP 或Dell购买 PC 时，这并不意味着机器内的所有硬件都是由这些公司制造的。事实上，这几乎不是真的。
例如，完全有可能找到一台由联想(Lenovo)组装和品牌的台式机，但它的硬盘驱动器可能是西部数据(Digital)制造的，它的内存(RAM)可能来自金士顿(Kingston)。西部数据(Digital)和金士顿(Kingston)都是联想(Lenovo)可以选择购买的OEM厂商。(OEMs)
从规模和收入来看，富士康(Foxconn)是全球最大的 OEM 公司，为苹果(Apple)、戴尔(Dell)、谷歌(Google)、任天堂(Nintendo)等公司制造电子产品和零部件。
其他常见的 OEM 产品有哪些？(What Are Other Common OEM Products?)
硬件不是(Hardware)OEM(OEMs)制造的唯一产品，PC 软件是另一种非常受欢迎的OEM产品。最明显的例子是微软(Microsoft)及其Windows操作系统。
作为市场上最大的 PC 操作系统，OEM版本的Windows被组装台式机和笔记本电脑的公司大量购买。
这些副本通常只是一个袖子，没有任何形式的文档。这是因为这些版本的 Windows 的唯一目的是为戴尔(Dell)和惠普等公司将它们安装在为零售购买而制造的 PC 的驱动器上。
虽然不像十年前那么普遍，但其他流行的OEM软件包括安全套件和系统实用程序。如果您在 2000 年代初拥有台式机，那么您可能会对McAfee Antivirus等(McAfee Antivirus)OEM软件感到怀念。
您应该购买 OEM 产品吗？(Should You Buy OEM Products?)
虽然OEM产品不能清楚地标记为好或坏，但如果您考虑通过购买它们来省钱，那么有些事情值得考虑。
首先也是最重要的一点是，您不应该期望对您的产品提供任何支持。如果您收到有缺陷的RAM棒或无法正确激活的Windows 产品密钥(Windows product key)，您可能会发现自己在没有桨的情况下陷入困境。
我们个人建议只有有经验的用户才购买OEM产品，因为使用此类硬件或软件需要一定程度的理解，而某些消费者更喜欢从包装手册中获得这种理解。
尽管OEM产品以便宜而闻名，但进行一些比较购物仍然很重要。的确，它们通常更便宜，但并非总是如此。
总之，OEM产品旨在出售给另一家公司并由另一家公司用于组装更大的产品，而零售产品的设计和包装旨在直接出售给消费者。
OEM产品并不适合所有人，但如果您找到了自己需要的产品，并且在没有客户支持的情况下感到舒适，您可以节省一些现金。
What Does OEM Mean When You Buy Electronics?
If you’ve ever рurchаsed cоmputer parts оr an оperating system, you’ve likely come across a mysterious recurring acronym – OEM.
In today’s world of technology, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of acronyms and confusing jargon. Similar to how you won’t stop hearing about 4K, UHD, and 2160p in the TV market, OEM is an unavoidable term if you’ve ever got your eyes on PC hardware and software.
In this article, let’s talk about what does OEM mean and what makes products labeled with the acronym special.
What Does OEM Mean?
OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer – in layman’s terms, whoever it was that built or sold a product. OEM products are manufactured not to be sold for retail use, but to be sold and distributed to companies that build systems.
Although we’ll be discussing how this relates to electronics, OEM is an acronym you’ll also find in other industries, such as automobiles. Cars are systems too.
How Do OEM Parts Differ from Retail Parts?
OEM parts are often packaged in plain brown boxes or wrappers with no branded text on them, whereas retail items are packaged for display and with the consumer in mind.
Since these products are not intended to see store shelves, there’s not much sense in the excess spending required to package them more attractively. However, when online shopping began to boom, this changed.
OEM parts can now sometimes be found in online stores, where consumer-friendly packaging isn’t much of a selling point. Bland packaging can bring in big savings.
What Are Some Examples of OEMs?
When you purchase a PC from HP or Dell, this doesn’t imply that all of the hardware inside the machine is manufactured by these companies. In fact, that’s almost never true.
It’s entirely possible to find a desktop that is, for example, assembled and branded by Lenovo, but its hard drive could have been made by Western Digital, and its RAM may come from Kingston. Western Digital and Kingston are both OEMs that Lenovo can choose to buy from.
Foxconn is the largest OEM company in the world, by scale and revenue, manufacturing electronics and parts for companies such as Apple, Dell, Google, Nintendo, and more.
What Are Other Common OEM Products?
Hardware isn’t the only thing manufactured by OEMs, and PC software is another incredibly popular OEM product. The most obvious example is Microsoft and its Windows operating system.
Overwhelmingly the largest PC operating system on the market, OEM editions of Windows are purchased in bulk by companies that assemble desktops and laptops.
These copies often come in just a sleeve, without any form of documentation. This is because these versions of Windows are designed for the sole purpose of companies such as Dell and HP installing them on the drives of PCs built for retail purchase.
Although not as common as a decade ago, other popular OEM software includes security suites and system utilities. If you had a desktop back in the early 2000s, you may feel nostalgic over OEM software such as McAfee Antivirus.
Should You Buy OEM Products?
While OEM products can’t be plainly labeled as good or bad, there are things worth taking into consideration if you’re thinking about saving money by purchasing them.
First and foremost is that you should expect no support for your product. If you receive a defective stick of RAM or a Windows product key that won’t activate properly, you could find yourself up the creek without a paddle.
We personally suggest that only experienced users purchase OEM products because working with this kind of hardware or software will require a level of understanding that some consumers prefer to get from packaged manuals.
Although OEM products have a reputation for being bargains, it’s still important to do some comparison shopping. It’s true that they’re usually cheaper, but not always.
In summary, OEM products are intended to be sold to and used by another company for the assembly of a larger product, whereas retail products are designed and packaged to be sold directly to consumers.
OEM products aren’t for everyone, but if you find what you need and you’re comfortable without having customer support, you could save some cash.
