____/ Philip on Sunday 17 February 2008 17:31 : \____
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>> R.I.P. HD DVD: Toshiba reportedly ends the war
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | Well, that's it. Toshiba appears to be pulling the plug on HD DVD. Toshiba
>> | has not commented publicly, but a report on Japan's NHK says Toshiba has
>> | made the decision to withdraw from next generation high-definition DVD
>> | production.
>> `----
>>
>>
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9873848-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
>
> Given the how long the betamax VHS war went on, this one was mercifully
> short. Although I suspect that the early HD-DVD buyers are now totally
> pissed. At least the betamax users probably felt they got some value for
> their purchase. The hordes of potential users who sat back and waited
> are now feeling totally justified in their reluctance to pick sides with
> their wallets.
>
> Maybe next time there is a format war brewing, some industry lesson will
> have been learned, and it'll be ended before the devices hit the market.
> On the other hand, I am sure this will result in higher costs and more
> monopolistic practices.
I care less about the (permissibly) DRM-enabled media and more about
Microsoft's budget drain. Microsoft is approaching debt and the fact that it's
placed /LAST/ in its own back yard (US sales of XBox 360) speaks volume. The
Japanese are defeating Microsoft by a factor of about 20:1 in Japan and by a
more moderate factor in the United States. Europe is not any better. It is
hardly surprising that over 15% of the XBox team is claimed to have left
Microsoft, including some of the chiefs. It is a dead end and the XBox 360
could eventually bleed close to $10 billion because the failure rate continue
to be abysmal.
--
~~ Best of wishes
Microsoft loves competition.
"We need to slaughter Novell before they get stronger….If you’re going to kill
someone, there isn’t much reason to get all worked up about it and angry. You
just pull the trigger. Any discussions beforehand are a waste of time. We need
to smile at Novell while we pull the trigger."
--Jim Allchin, Platform Group Vice President
|
|
