Often you'll find that parts labelled as coming from one manufacturer are, in fact, made by someone else. Often, I've learned that NS sells to TI, or to others and vice-versa, in order to meet market requirements. Often, it turns out that the notion that one mfg's logic is better than another's is just folklore. This can be justified on the basis of shipping cost alone. If one mfg has a fab or packaging plant in Rawalpindi, it's cheaper to buy the parts to be shipped to India there rather than to ship them from Austin, Tx, or from Santa Clara, CA.

RE