clone

Copy of hardware or software that may not be identical to the original design but provides the same functions. All personal computers (PCs) are to some extent clones of the original IBM PC and PC AT launched by IBM in 1981 and 1984, respectively - including IBM's current machines. Clones typically compete by being cheaper and are sometimes less well made than the branded product but this is not always the case. Compaq, for example, competed with IBM by producing the first portable PC and by building better desktop machines, while Dell competed by building PCs to individual orders and supplying customers direct.

Cloning a disk drive or workstation, however, means making an exact copy of all the files or software so that the new drive or machine functions identically to the original one.