Jordan;

I was an electronics engineer at Ampex Corporation. We produced the world’s first commercial audio tape recorder and invented video recording (analog and digital), instant replay, and many related things to give you an idea of what the company did as innovation. People like Dolby worked at Ampex at one time or another.

One day in September of 1989 about six months after we licensed Sony to build digital video recorders (VTR’s), there was a television trade magazine of some two pages proclaiming Sony was shipping PAL, NTSC and HDTV digital VTR’s. We knew we were in trouble! We invented so many things but in the 1980's could not build it so it would work. When the engineers ran the company we produced the best quality obtainable. By the time the company had been sold the third time things had changed and not for the better. A few months’ later 16,000 people were laid off at Ampex and that is when I changed careers.

Today Ampex once an international company has about 55 people – down from the over 20,000 of the 1980’s. The owner is happy as he sold all the land, buildings and manufacturing divisions, except for one small building. He also sold junk bonds several times and made millions. It is amazing how a few do well at the expense of so many. That seems like the story of life and history in general.

Tom


>Hi Tom,
>I suppose that very soon safety lows in Mexico will become the same as in California. When in Mexico opens more jobs salary will increase also.
>When all countries in the world rise their standard of living, because of development and industrialization diferrence in labor force cost will be smaller.
>And only regions which have real comparative advantage, because of natural resources or more productive organization will produce cheaper products and will supply the whole countries in the world.
>I suppose that you watch SONY as me. Japanies are the best in production of TV. every part of the world have some comparative advantage and will gain from it.