Throughout the week I type possible subjects for articles into my Palm Pilot PDA and review them prior to writing. Even with all these keen ideas I keep thinking about the dozens of Beta tapes I have in storage and how I can transfer them to DVD. Then today’s article hit me: I always end up with losing technology.
Back in the 80’s I must have had ten Beta players. Usually I found them at flea markets or yard sales and rarely did I pay more than $5.00 each. Little did I know the reason they were so cheap was because Beta technology was being displaced by VHS simply due to licensing.
Beta vs. VHS is one of many format wars throughout my very interesting history of technology. Basically format wars occur when two similar and competing technologies battle with each other until one wins. There are many factors which dictate how a technology will prevail.
Around the time I owned all those Beta machines I also owned a High-8 camcorder. I quickly learned the tapes were not compatible with a friend’s camcorder from another manufacturer. VHS-C, the competing technology, was not only cross-brand compatible but the tapes would also play in VHS units by using an adapter.
When tape technology started to fizzle and digital became more popular I replaced the camcorder with one that interfaced to my computer. I remember needing to purchase and configure a FireWire (or IEEE 1394) card with my PC. Aside from being frustrating to use, FireWire technology was quickly supplanted by USB.
Of the videos I was able to transfer to my PC using the FireWire catastrophe I backed them up using Iomega Zip discs. Each disc had a 100MB capacity which was perfect for home movies. The day my Zip drive stopped working I went to the store and was told the technology was ousted by writable CD’s. Apparently Zip drives were nearly obsolete the day I made my purchase.
My first DVD player was DIVX enabled. DIVX was a DVD derivative specifically created for the rental market which allowed two days of viewing before prompting users to purchase additional views. I was never able to rent DIVX movies in my area and spent nearly twice as much as a regular DVD player. I’m uncertain whether DIVX DVD’s were ever available.
My first digital camera used XD cards to store pictures. XD was only available on a limited number of digital cameras and the readers were never standard equipment on any computer. In order to read the card in my computer I needed to purchase an additional piece or hardware which is now unusable because it connects with FireWire.
Finally, I thought I was doing a good thing when I purchased a video card for my computer with S-Video outputs. I figured my TV would support the connection because it had an input labeled as such. No luck on my end, the cable coming from the computer had a different connection than the one on the television. Had I known I would have purchased the card with composite video outputs.
I shouldn’t publicly admit my luck picking technology over the years given my profession, but I guess that’s how we learn and the industry makes money. In my defense when something new comes out it’s always fun to be the first to own the new gizmo. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to listen to Lawrence Welk on my Delco 8-track player.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can call him at (978) 919-8059 or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)