Text 8833, 159 rader
Skriven 2005-12-27 11:48:28 av Adam (1:379/45)
   Kommentar till text 8786 av Rich (1:379/45)
Ärende: Re: Geeks vs. the living room
=====================================
From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"@the field.near the bridge">

Rich wrote:
>    Let's make this simple for you.

Why when that's clearly beyound you as you show no sign of either knowledge or
(heaven forfend) understanding of the matter.


> Geeks will like geeky things that
> normal people don't care about or even dislike.

Just not true. Geeks care about things which the general populace either don't
know they should care about or even can care about. Would most people have been
happy with mono recordings? Yes. Would most people have lived without dolby?
Yes Would most people have lived with black & white tv? Yes.

Do people "like" stereo sound, colour tv etc?


> To avoid wasting time
> on more drivel from you on this subject lets just accept this for this
> discussion so we need not discuss it further.

No let's not as it's one of the sources for your completely false & silly
statements.

>  Now we can get to the
> original topic which is george's claim "It's the geeks that get there
> first and then everyone asks them how to do it" and specifically that
> george was using this as a statement that make the path not just run ahead.
>

That statement is true.

>    We can use DVD players as an example if you wish.
>
>    You apparently do live in another universe.

Possibly. I live in the one called reality where I wander about on a planet
called earth.

> I don't know ordinary
> people that purchased $1000 DVD players.

I know people who bought $1000 CD palyers when there were few of the shiny
disks to be had. I know one person who bought the "lazer video disk" thingy & I
know people who paid silly money for DVD players & basically without who we'd
not have mass market dvd players today because like lazer video disk the
tech/product would have "failed in the market".

> People buy them now for many
> reasons and not because geeks got there first are available to ask them
> how to do it.

Now vs then. Nice piece of std Rich diversionery fluff.

Now you get USD40 dvd players. Then you got 700 USD DVD players.

& even now it is a geeky thing (or something you need to ask an
audiophile geek to help you with) to set up a 5.1/surround sound system
properly.

Odd that mine seems to have functions for different types of sound so you can
simulate a cinema etc. Sounds very much like mucho buttons for the geeks to me.


> DVD players are cheaper than VCRs were a few years ago
> and maybe cheaper than them now.

&? Both were geek lead devices. How many "ordinary people" managed to
"program their vcr" vs inviting their younger geekier family members round to
show them how to time after time?


>  DVDs are better quality and more
> functional, particularly random access.

A) So what? What on earth does this have to do with Geo's statement? You see it
was all so simple, there's just no way you could stick to or fathom it.

B) Random access? Oh what like skipping straight to the film & avoiding all the
"messages" the real owner of the DVD wants to make you see?

>  For folks that rent, VHS is
> often not an option.  I know a few folks that only got a DVD when they
> couldn't rent VHS anymore.  There was not otherwise a compelling reason
> to get them.  DVD players are also simple to use.  They are easier than
> VHS as there is no rewinding and very familiar for anyone with a CD player.
>

Gosh that rewinding is a killer. It's also easier in that there is no recording
 (esp timer recording). So cut the functionality & it becomes simpler....well I
never.

>    So why don't you claim how it is the ordinary people adopted DVDs
> because geeks were there to ask how to do it.

Because Geo's statement is true & you are wrong.

>  If anything geeks are
> indebted to normal people for driving production costs down.
>

All hail the bollocks of Rich. Gee nah let's instead be indebted to automated
production machinery & the std laws of economics wrt economies of scale.

If the geeks etc hadn't stepped up to buy the "latest & greatest" tech (in this
case the over priced dvd players with little available content) then the tech
fades & dies. Betamax? VideoLazer disk?

>    The ipod is another example of something that succeeded without geek
> participation.  It is popular for having style not for being geeky.
> More geeky devices did not succeed probably in large part because they
> were viewed as geeky.  The general public doesn't like geeky.
>

What total crap. Are you the keeper of the augean stables or something? Ripping
CD'es to play on an ipod or downloading them over the "internet" is not a geek
lead thing?


>   Laser disc players are a great example of geeks leading the way to
> failure.

Nope.

> The failed to provide value to ordinary people.  That you
> could find a geek that bought one of these didn't help.  Why?  Because
> geekiness is not a driving factor.  There are plenty of examples of
> this.  Geeks often adopt products that fail.  Are you going to blame
> geeks for their failure.
>

If enough don't buy the product initially it fails no matter what "value" is
"provided" to "ordinary people".

Lazer video disks etc provided the same "value" as DVD, however the prices
stayed too high & there was no commonality with CD & people were happy enough
with VHS.

>    I suspect you are confusing early adopters with geeks and making the
> further mistake of believing that geekiness helps not hurts adoption or
> that geeks drive adoption.
>

I suspect you think that ordinary people are early adopters where that has been
plainly untrue for eons.

Computers were completely geeky. "Games consoles" were completely geeky. HiFi
was completely geeky. Listening to music on your computer (esp as something
other than the orig cd) was completely geeky.

Live with it Rich.

Adam

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