Quote Originally Posted by holotropik
often this new technology is released without really thinkin through the ramifications. Its released with the mindset of controlling an indutry and commercial success - with some benefits such as portability etc.
All too often stuff gets rushed to market.

If Philips and the other companies involved hadn't started manufacturing CDs then some other consortium would have come out with something else. I believe DCC (Digital Compact Cassette) was in the offing.

You just have to look at Micro$oft, and the un-ending stream of bugfixes they constantly release, to get an idea of how much pressure there is to rush new technology to market - regardless of the (potential) consequences.

It's like all the cloning / GM / stem cell bullshit. The longer we sit on our arses arguing the why and wherefores about it all, the more chance there is of some bright spark relocating to some other country somewhere which doesn't care half as much and doing it all anyway.

Such is the nature of the "free market".

No one will ever think anything through because the advantage of being first to market with something is too tempting, unless of course human safety is on the line. All the suits want to know is...

A. Will it make me money?
B. Will I get sued if it goes wrong?