> but if being "better" was the only factor, Betamax would have beaten VHS This is stupid: Betamax was significantly more expense at virtually every level than

> but if being "better" was the only factor, Betamax would have beaten VHS This is stupid: Betamax was significantly more expense at virtually every level than VHS, not to mention its production was (overly?) restricted by Sony. It gets worse: Betamax did win, just not in the consumer space. Professionals used (and continue to use to this day) Sony's "Beta" format because they could afford to, and it was technically superior (if more expensive). For most things in life, there is no way to define "better", because life (and products) are multi-dimensional, "better" in same areas and "worse" in others. Thus, it's impossible to say that the "best" product won (or didn't win), Betamax/VHS included.