Lateral thinking, anyone?

[Yorkie]

We were advised that the reason that the Japanese, Chinese and other oriental nationalities are so inventive ...........

Is that so? There's a lot of copying and improving, but inventing?
I don't think so.

Alan

So who invented the Sony Walkman - a 'tape recorder' that could only play tapes, which many pundits said as a concept, would flop, but which in fact set in train a whole string of innovative products which Japan designed and made, and Brits bought. And what about the Sony Triniton CRT?

Neither do I think that the Japanese came to dominate the market in the UK and elswhere for cars and motorbikes by copying the designs of Austin Allegros & Maxis or Triumph Toledos, or British motorbikes, when the industry was in its Meriden days death throes. Neither did they follow the clapped out under capitalised manufacturing techniques, management style or relationships with the bolshi workforce which epitomised the 'Red Robbo' days of BLMC.

We do now have a thriving car industry, but it's thanks to the likes of Toyota and Nissan. (Consider how many Quashqis you see around). It doesn't always mean their products are so much better - Toyota cars are highly regarded, but think how many recalls they've had.

In the States, the only thing that kept Harley Davidson alive when Honda Goldwings came on the scene and took the market for big touring bikes by storm was swingeing protectionist import tarrifs imposed by Ronald Reagan. Harley D had been reduced to making not very good lawnmowers. It took a couple of decades to get back on their feet. Honda didn't copy Harley Ds - they designed and built a far superior product that didn't keep breaking down.

As to electronics, a lot of the stuff that comes out of Japan and China isn't copied - there's not much left in the West to copy. (EG TVs and radios). Most of the computers, motherboards and peripheral stuff - even if designed in the West (EG Apple) - is manufactured in China, Malaysia etc.

Just my thoughts.