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Cyhist Dec 7, 1998 D
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========================================================================= Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 13:42:18 -0500
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Wesley Miller <wjmiller@US.IBM.COM>
Subject: CM> Winners and losers
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Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
There are countless products that have made it big in the computer industry. Some software, some hardware. Almost all of the successful products had competitors. We hope that the products which succeeded were the better ones but we know that hasn't always been the case. Famous examples of where the clearly better product lost out to the poorer but widely embraced product include ethernet vs. token ring, x86 vs. 68x, Windows vs. OS/2. FORTRAN vs. APL.., POTS vs ISDN, T1 vs E1.
While you may not agree with me on some of these, I'm sure that you have other candidates for the list.
What are the products where the good/better/best one lost out to the poorer popular one? Why?
What drove the lesser product ahead? The better on behind? It can't always be cost or ease of use. Is there a mindset at play? Did the press bias the public? Bias against IBM?
Just something for the gentle readers to chew on.
___________________________________________Wesley J. Miller Diagnostics Development
IBM NHD, RTP, NC 27709
Phone: (8-444) 919-254-9774
Internet: wjmiller@us.ibm.com
Notes ID: Wesley Miller/Raleigh/IBM@IBMUS
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Wesley Miller <wjmiller@US.IBM.COM>
Subject: CM> Winners and losers
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
There are countless products that have made it big in the computer industry. Some software, some hardware. Almost all of the successful products had competitors. We hope that the products which succeeded were the better ones but we know that hasn't always been the case. Famous examples of where the clearly better product lost out to the poorer but widely embraced product include ethernet vs. token ring, x86 vs. 68x, Windows vs. OS/2. FORTRAN vs. APL.., POTS vs ISDN, T1 vs E1.
While you may not agree with me on some of these, I'm sure that you have other candidates for the list.
What are the products where the good/better/best one lost out to the poorer popular one? Why?
What drove the lesser product ahead? The better on behind? It can't always be cost or ease of use. Is there a mindset at play? Did the press bias the public? Bias against IBM?
Just something for the gentle readers to chew on.
___________________________________________Wesley J. Miller Diagnostics Development
IBM NHD, RTP, NC 27709
Phone: (8-444) 919-254-9774
Internet: wjmiller@us.ibm.com
Notes ID: Wesley Miller/Raleigh/IBM@IBMUS
______________________________________________________________________
