In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Robert Redelmeier
wrote:

Plenty of similar pseudo-examples like VHS vs beta.

While Beta was a much better *recording media* than VHS ever will be,
the competition wasn't between the media but between the *recorders*;
and there Sony completely dropped the ball. People bought VHS, not
because VHS was better or cheaper; it wasn't on BOTH counts. Beta tapes
were better, produced far better pictures, were far less likely to jam
AND were slightly cheaper (because of the reduced size). People bought
VHS *recorders* because they offered far more features (like delayed and
programmed recording) long before Beta machines ever did. Since most
people don't give a **** about minor quality issues; tiny problems not
showing up until quite a while *after* the machine was bought, the minor
price-differential (in favor of Beta, BTW), they both had similar
prerecorded movies out, and the prices of the machines were almost
identical, what made VHS "win the war" was the fact that Sony thought it
owned the market; and saw no reason to upgrade or add features to their
machines. The competition did.

I still have one of the last Beta machines around.
The only "programming" you can do is set up a recording-time pressing
buttons on the front of the machine. You can't set up multiple records,
sets of records, or even change stations from one station to another
while recording except by manually going up to the machine and pressing
another station-button. All the VHS machines by then could do FAR more;
most having on-screen programming for at least a week of recording.

Pure idiocy (in my opinion anyway) on the part of Sony management.

--
_____
/ ' / ™
,-/-, __ __. ____ /_
(_/ / (_(_/|_/ / _/ _