[DirtHerder @ Jan 21st 2006 11:20PM]

"When I have a camera, a videogame, a DAP, a PDA and so on, and each one uses a different standard for storage, it becomes a pain and expensive."

Yeah... so? This would seem to support Sony's original move to use MS' across its product line.

"Sony uses MemoryStick for a simple reason: if you have any one Sony product which uses it - you're more likely to buy other Sony products, just to share the same media."

Sure, that is probably part of it (part of their intent is to turn a profit after all), but that's hardly the only reason why a company would do something like that. besides if their products were crap, no one would buy them... regardless of whether or not it used the same memory format as another product they owned.

"That's a lousy way to get customers."

Please, do you seriously think that this is their "master plan" for getting customers? you're gonna have to work harder than that to come up with a believable (or at least entertaining) evil empire media enthrallment theory.

"But there's a bigger issue - even if we accept the notion that it's ok to have several dozen storage formats, Sony doesn't even consistently support them on their own platforms!"

Alright, finally something I can agree with... especially with the introduction of the Duo and their even smaller memory stick formats... now that is definitely frustrating...

"Why invent a whole new format (UMD) when they already had a format (MiniDisk)? They could have used the same physical format even if the actual media itself isn't compatible, and then offer compatibility with existing MiniDisks."

...

so much for finally agreeing with you...

Use the same physical format for incompatible products (because of the progress of technology)? Do you hear yourself?

"Why don't they use MiniDisk in their disk cameras? Why use recordable CD?"

... 'caaaause... it's cheaper? 'caaause... when these cameras were being introduced MiniDisc was still not a popular format?... 'caaaaaause... you can play an 8 cm cd-r in a STANDARD cd-rom???

Come on man! You can do better than that!

"And so on and so on."

ok.. I changed my mind... don't try to do better... just stop...

... someone make the bad man stop...

"Sony's media saga is legendary for the degree of self-inflicted injury they've caused. The only good news? Well, it took a while, but they finally realised that Atrac wasn't going to catch on and people wanted MP3.. which they FINALLY started to include."

Yes that was indeed a nice move on their part. It doesn't matter how superior a codec might be (there are many claims that bitrate for bitrate ATRAC is a better performer), if the market doesn't want it, the market doesn't want it. Kinda silly to ignore the numbers.

I think Sony's biggest achilles heal has always been its software. It is generally sub par, and user unfriendly. Sony should really just stick to what they do best. Cool hardware and gadgets, and leave the software to someone else... or even better, design their gear so that no aditional software is needed to interface with a PC/Mac. Now that would actually be something worthwhile.

Lastly, I just gotta say.. "more accurately don't mind it" is rather presumptuous ... and grossly inaccurate. Like some of the other conclusions drawn in yonder posting.