Trip Report: Nader's conference on Microsoft

[Chuck Swiger <cswiger@widomaker.com>]

  From: 	Mitch Stone[SMTP:mstone@vc.net]
  >>format, they flocked to VHS and abandoned beta. This phenomenon is called
  >>"tipping" (like, tipping the scales). The result was that lots more movies
  >>were available on VCR and so even fewer people bought beta. Result: beta is
  >>history.
  >
  >Thanks for posting this fine analysis.
  
  
  Really! That was very enlightening.
  To continue this analogy a little further:
  if Win95/98/NT4 = VHS format [actually bogus, as VHS is
  a stable standard, MS os interface is a moving target.]
     Applications = Video Tapes
  
  Who 'owns' the VHS standard?
  
  >From what I understand, or read somewhere, what happened was
  Sony tried to 'go it alone' and establish Beta as a VCR
  standard, and all the rest of Japan Inc. electronics got
  miffed and ganged up on Sony and pushed VHS thru (actually
  sounds a little familiar, if you equate early Sony VCR's = MS
  at the moment).
  
  While on that subject, I'm appreciating Mr. Mueller's arguments
  more and more - for a long time US companies justified their
  domestic monopolies as necessary to be 'globally competitive'
  with Japan Inc., MITI, etc. 
  
  Chuck
  cswiger@widomaker.com