[drewda]

General Electric has a history of using that exact trick... just with jet engines and power generators and medical devices that can represent much larger amounts of revenue.

[vessenes]

Not just - Welch pioneered using GE Capital to “smooth” earnings - lots of judgment calls in those finance companies in the early 90s.

[hattmall]

GE's latest trick is to roll long term maintenance contracts into the price of the product and then sell off the unit holding the bag on the maintenance contract. Very shady but very clever.