Ed;

It does not matter how “good” a product is, and Sony Beta is a good case in point. I worked for Ampex Corporation for 15 years as a Metrology Engineer. I was responsible for creating measurement standards and techniques for all world video standards.

Ampex produced the worlds first commercial audio tape recorder and invented Video recording, Editing and Instant Replay. Sony had a superior technical system for the consumer video recorder market but JVC had the superior marketing/sales staff. Both Sony and JVC (and any one who manufactures video tape recorders) paid/pays Ampex a royalty for each machine they produce for using patented technology.

There are many factors that dictate who has market share – and having a technological lead does not spell success. Perhaps the most important ingredient to success is perception. What is the perception of one product over another or one candidate over another? Who or what is best? It does not matter – it is what we are lead to believe by advertising or media that determines our choices. The same analogy applies to the development tools we use.

Tom