Obsolecence (Was RE: OT: PC Motherboard with a vacuum tube)

From: Feldman, Robert <Robert_Feldman_at_jdedwards.com>
Date: Mon Sep 9 09:05:01 2002

Yes, but go to a Best Buy or similar store, and you can still buy a VCR.

What gets my attention is the speed with which the newer medium/technology
is being pushed. It took a lot longer for CD's to replace LP's, and as
another recent thread mentioned, you can still buy LP's and turntables.

What I object to is being "forced" to switch, to have to buy new hardware
when what I have is still functional and functioning. We can keep our old
computers running, and functional, with old programs, or even newly written
programs for the old platforms. I still use NewWord (copyright 1986) on my
1994-vintage HP 200LX palmtop that I carry with me every day. I guess if I
purchesed prerecorded videocassettes like I purchased my old software, I
could keep playing them. In software,
if I rented (annually licensed) my software, it could be cut off at any
time, like WordPerfect was for certain Data Generals,IIRC, or like MS would
prefer.

Enough rambling, though.

-----Original Message-----
From: J.C. Wren [mailto:jcwren_at_jcwren.com]
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 8:41 AM
To: cctalk_at_classiccmp.org
Subject: RE: Obsolecence (Was RE: OT: PC Motherboard with a vacuum tube)


        "I guess they are trying to force users to switch to DVD."

        You make it sound like a conspiracy. It's a simple matter of
economics.
Every time you play a VHS cassette, you degrade it. DVD does not inherently
suffer from this, unless you mishandled a DVD. DVDs take less space, in a
vertical spine-out display configuration. DVDs do not need to be rewound.
DVDs have a better picture. DVDs have better sound.

        In fact, the *only* disadvantage that DVD has as a medium is that
unlike
VHS, it's not readily recordable.

        If I were a video rental store, I'd be dumping miserable VHS
cassettes as
fast as I could. Let the antique shops rent them. The DVD market now
represents a rather large percentage of the rental market, since a
reasonable DVD player is as cheap as a mid-range VHS deck.

        --John

-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-admin_at_classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-admin_at_classiccmp.org]On
Behalf Of Feldman, Robert
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 09:21
To: 'cctalk_at_classiccmp.org'
Subject: OT: Obsolecence (Was RE: OT: PC Motherboard with a vacuum tube)


Our local Blockbuster Video here in Chicago is rapidly decreasing the number
of video cassettes it rents, in favor of DVD's. Soon there won't be any
available, except at the public library or specialty rental stores. I guess
they are trying to force users to switch to DVD.
Received on Mon Sep 09 2002 - 09:05:01 BST