My first CFLs were Philips, and they took "forever" to come
to a reasonable brightness, let alone full. But the Home Despot
cheapies are quite bright from the moment they're enerigized,
and take only about a minute to real full brilliance.

Depending on how long ago you tried those "first" CFLs, it
may be a inappropriate comparison. Even the generic
off-brands were poor at first and evolved over time.

It wasn't intended as a comparison, but a contrast. (Ask any English
teacher.) And the Philips were indeed early CFLs.