Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 23rd Aug 2012 12:48 UTC
"We all know about the gadgets that get showered with constant praise - the icons, the segment leaders, and the game changers. Tech history will never forget the Altair 8800, the Walkman, the BlackBerry, and the iPhone. But people do forget - and quickly - about the devices that failed to change the world: the great ideas doomed by mediocre execution, the gadgets that arrived before the market was really ready, or the technologies that found their stride just as the world was pivoting to something else." I was a heavy user of BeOS, Zip drives, and MiniDisc (I was an MD user up until about 2 years ago). I'm starting to see a pattern here.
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RE[2]: Comment by drcouzelis
by zima on Fri 24th Aug 2012 03:30
in reply to "RE: Comment by drcouzelis"
Member since:2005-07-06
> I had a minidisc player too. I always thought it was a the perfect blend of "CD quality audio" and "record anything anywhere any time" like an audio casette.
What I did like about Minidiscs was the form factor. They were quite handy [...]
You can also see a certain trend in computer media with a "step backward": tape reels, 8" disks, 5.25" disks, 3.5" disks, minidiscs, but then: CDs and DVDs again at 5.25"-like form factor [...]
I'd like to see that form factor (and cartridge!) instead of today's CD and DVD formats. But people want cheap, they get cheap.
What I did like about Minidiscs was the form factor. They were quite handy [...]
You can also see a certain trend in computer media with a "step backward": tape reels, 8" disks, 5.25" disks, 3.5" disks, minidiscs, but then: CDs and DVDs again at 5.25"-like form factor [...]
I'd like to see that form factor (and cartridge!) instead of today's CD and DVD formats. But people want cheap, they get cheap.
Though MD never really was a computer medium - I believe the early plans for dedicated data storage drives never materialised, and the later (larger in capacity, and IIRC seen as storage by computers) MD variant was just... too late, when flash-based mp3 players and USB pendrives were already taking over - oh, and those do have a smaller form factor (but also not too small, usually)
And the Minidisc faced a still very strong, similarly handy, entrenched competitor - the Compact Cassette. With "inexpensive" being also a very important feature, especially in a portable audio player (easily lost, stolen, or broken - still, WRT the last one, cassette players were probably most rugged and resistant), don't brush it off.
Meanwhile, MD tended to be silly expensive for what it offered, throughout most of the 90s (especially the portables which could record). And we have to put it in the context of the times - those were the years when the CD not only already enjoyed major network effects, also still had plenty of room for growth in getting really widespread. Between those two, grabbing a CD player was a clearly better choice (and subsequently to that, it was harder to swallow the cost of MD player, especially with very inexpensive portable cassette players around).
When the prices of MD tech finally became acceptable, the world already started the move to MP3.
(and it's not really a "CD quality audio" - uses quite sub-par lossy codec; not that it matters too much in portable scenarios...)
> Oh well, that was before I realized just how proprietary the format was. :/
Proprietary stuff will die, sooner or later. That killed many formats with potential. Anyone remember CDi? I still have lots of CDi gear here, because I'm a living museum. :-)
Proprietary stuff will die, sooner or later. That killed many formats with potential. Anyone remember CDi? I still have lots of CDi gear here, because I'm a living museum. :-)
But the Red Book CD is also a proprietary standard, as are DVDs... (or MP3 and AAC; even Compact Cassettes, I think - at least in conjunction with Dolby noise reduction, which kinda made using them for music practical) MD doesn't seem that much out of the ordinary.
RE[3]: Comment by drcouzelis
by Johann Chua on Fri 24th Aug 2012 11:24
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by drcouzelis"
Member since:2005-07-22
"> Oh well, that was before I realized just how proprietary the format was. :/
Proprietary stuff will die, sooner or later. That killed many formats with potential. Anyone remember CDi? I still have lots of CDi gear here, because I'm a living museum. :-)
Proprietary stuff will die, sooner or later. That killed many formats with potential. Anyone remember CDi? I still have lots of CDi gear here, because I'm a living museum. :-)
But the Red Book CD is also a proprietary standard, as are DVDs... (or MP3 and AAC; even Compact Cassettes, I think - at least in conjunction with Dolby noise reduction, which kinda made using them for music practical) MD doesn't seem that much out of the ordinary. "
Maybe "non-widespread standard" would be a better term?
I know there were non-Sony Beta VCRs, but I've only ever seen Betamaxes in person. Checking Wikipedia, I see that other manufacturers made MDs, but did anyone else make the players and recorders? Basically, MD seemed to be a case of Sony vs. the rest of the world.
Edited 2012-08-24 11:25 UTC
RE[2]: Comment by drcouzelis
by zima on Thu 30th Aug 2012 07:28
in reply to "RE: Comment by drcouzelis"
Member since:2005-07-06
What I did like about Minidiscs was the form factor. They were quite handy [...]
You can also see a certain trend in computer media with a "step backward": tape reels, 8" disks, 5.25" disks, 3.5" disks, minidiscs, but then: CDs and DVDs again at 5.25"-like form factor [...]
I'd like to see that form factor (and cartridge!) instead of today's CD and DVD formats.
You can also see a certain trend in computer media with a "step backward": tape reels, 8" disks, 5.25" disks, 3.5" disks, minidiscs, but then: CDs and DVDs again at 5.25"-like form factor [...]
I'd like to see that form factor (and cartridge!) instead of today's CD and DVD formats.
PS. And I forgot about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDVD (CDs too of course, and both also in business card form).
Yeah, not that popular (it seems the size of standard optical media doesn't bother us that much after all), but certainly around - for drivers and such, or as recordable media. And Gamecube...
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 14:35 UTC
The third and final WWDC product I want to talk about is - of course - OS X 10.9 Mavericks. While iOS 7 was clearly the focus of this year's WWDC, its venerable desktop counterpart certainly wasn't left behind. Apple announced OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the first OS X release not to carry the name of a big cat.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/11/13 17:07 UTC
We already talked about iOS 7 yesterday (after a night of sleep, it's only looking worse and worse - look at this, for Fiona's sake!), so now it's time to talk about the downright stunning and belly flutters-inducing new Mac Pro. As former owner and huge, huge, huge fan of the PowerMac G4 Cube - I haven't been this excited about an Apple product since, well, I would say the iMac G4. This is the Apple I used to love.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/10/13 23:13 UTC
Apple held its big keynote event thing at WWDC earlier this evening, but since I was away with friends I've had to read up on it later in the evening. The company announced iOS 7, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, and they gave a preview of the new Mac Pro. Especially the Mac Pro impressed me, and while iOS 7's new Holo/Metro-inspired theme looks messy and garish to me, I do commend Apple for finally breaking the mold. This news item will focus on iOS 7 - I'll dive into the Mac Pro and OS X 10.9 tomorrow (it's late here now).
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/08/13 14:57 UTC
And yes, the PRISM scandal is far, far from over. More and more information keeps leaking out, and the more gets out, the worse it gets. The companies involved have sent out official statements - often by mouth of their CEOs - and what's interesting is that not only are these official statements eerily similar to each other, using the same terms clearly designed by lawyers, they also directly contradict new reports from The New York Times. So, who is lying?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/07/13 11:40 UTC
This story is getting bigger and bigger. Even though most Americans probably already knew, it is now official: the United States government, through its National Security Agency, is collecting the communications and data of all American citizens, and of non-Americans using American services, through a wide collaboration with the large companies in technology, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and so on. Interestingly enough, the NSA itself, as well as the US government, have repeatedly and firmly denied this massive spying on Americans and non-Americans took place at all.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/04/13 12:45 UTC
Ah, patents - the never-ending scourge of the technology industry. Whether wielded by companies who don't actually make any products, or large corporations who abuse them because they can't compete in the market place or because they're simply jerks, they do the industry a huge disservice and are simply plain dangerous. According to The Wall Street Journal (circumvention link), president Obama is about to take several executive actions to address patent trolls - which may seem like a good idea, but I am very worried that all this will do is strengthen the positions of notorious patent system abusers such as Apple and Microsoft.
Linked by nfeske on 05/31/13 10:12 UTC
With version 13.05, the developers of the Genode OS Framework take measures to ensure that Genode continues to scale well with a growing number of users and the steadily broadening platform coverage. Further highlights are the improved SoC support for Exynos 5, OMAP4, Raspberry Pi, i.MX, and new components for realizing headless systems.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/29/13 16:59 UTC
At the D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again took the stage to be interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. While most of the interview can be replicated by picking and reading 10 random Apple fanblog stories - there were still a number of very interesting things that warrant some closer scrutiny.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!More Features »
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What I did like about Minidiscs was the form factor. They were quite handy. The size was a "good feeling in your hand", and they were easy to store. In daily use, the fact that they came as cartridges (plastic enclosing carrying the media) was a real benefit compared to CDs and DVDs which have an "open surface" toward the environment, usually breadcrumbs on the table or spilled coffee, and all flat surfaces will soon be covered with them. :-)
You can also see a certain trend in computer media with a "step backward": tape reels, 8" disks, 5.25" disks, 3.5" disks, minidiscs, but then: CDs and DVDs again at 5.25"-like form factor. Ha, you can even get full-featured computers the size of a DVD drive!
Minidiscs are also as handy as CF cards - not too big, not too small (like micro-SD cards where you have to pay attention not to accidentally breathe them in). For a portable medium, they were quite okay. I'd like to see that form factor (and cartridge!) instead of today's CD and DVD formats. But people want cheap, they get cheap.
Proprietary stuff will die, sooner or later. That killed many formats with potential. Anyone remember CDi? I still have lots of CDi gear here, because I'm a living museum. :-)