I agree with your opinion on the (lack of) use of standards.
The analogy I favor is that if I come over to your house with an LP
record, I expect it to play on your record player. I don't (have to) bother
caring what brand your machine is, what your AC voltage is, what your
frequency is (50 or 60 Hz), or anything else (with the possible
exception it's a machine more than 40 years old and plays only 78's).
Furthermore, it would play on record players virtually everywhere in the
world.
So it's a question of expectations in the users' minds. Once standards
are really accepted, people will increase their useage. Would not
manufacturers and developers make more money in the long run if they
converged on standards, and then sell a lot more systems to a lot more
people who would then have confidence going in?
Bill Lieberman
ISX Corp.
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