4 ms·
Pontiac Aztec is probably the worst invention on the list. But why is Betamax there? I thought it was a viable format that just didn't win.
by stretchwithme 16y ago
Pontiac Aztec is probably the worst invention on the list. But why is Betamax there? I thought it was a viable format that just didn't win.
- RyanMcGreal 16y agoBetamax was technically superior to VHS, but VHS won because its cheap, permissive licencing earned it the crucial network effects that made it the default platform. (Incidentally, you could say exactly the same thing about MS-DOS.)
- philwelch 16y agoAlso, VHS traded off longer runtime against higher quality, while Betamax traded off the other way. Turns out people don't like switching cassettes in the middle of a movie.
- Deestan 16y agoFrom the article: > Betamax wasn't so much a bad product as a lesson in marketing gone awry.
- devinj 16y agoWhich means it wasn't a terrible invention at all. So again, why is it on this list?