[tjohns]

It's the history behind the brand that's important.

Does that company have a history of building quality products? Do they support them when something breaks? What kind of reputation do they have?

When you buy a brand name product, you generally have a better idea what you're buying.

(Not to say there aren't some high quality generic products out there, but it takes a lot more time and research to find them. And sometimes it's just a gamble.)