"George M. Middius" wrote in message
...

~GT~ said:

If not then why not? You tell me....

Because not every product on the market is aimed at the utilitarian
niche.

Or maybe it more a matter of which corporation wins the marketing war.
And
those that are stuck with the losers product, wind up with a pile of
unstandardized junk.

BZZZZZZT! Wrong answer.

No an answer you don't want to hear, is more like it....

It's sounds like you've already made that investment, I put it down, you
took it personally, so now you're ****ed off. Right?

Or can you answer the question without leaving your CAPS set on, 'on'?


This is not unique to electronics, you know. Ford just came out
with a hybrid SUV that gets much better mileage than the gasoline
ones. If technology that yields improved fuel economy is workable, why
aren't all cars so equipped? You tell me....

They'll have to. We have no choice.

Excuse me, O Omniscient One. We have the choice NOW. The carmakers could

Excuse me pal, but as long as we're dependent on finite middle-eastern oil,
then we have NO choice BUT to change. NONE. It'll either go fairly
smoothly or it will go fairly painfully. One of the two.


deliver a fleet that gets at least one-third better mileage within 18
months or less. The technology exists NOW. If they were to combine
hybrid engines with the better gasoline tech that's now getting dusty in
the storerooms, new cars would get double the mileage they get today.
This is reality, not drawing-board schemes.

Because the government isn't pushing it right now. CAFE standards are down
which is why so many big, gas-guzzling SUVs are being sold. With gas prices
the way they are, why change?

The current marketplace IS dictating it right now, not giving automakers an
even greater incentive to change. But that will change. It has to.


Within the next 10 years, I predict all autos will be either hybrids or
fully electric, with hydrogen cars on the horizon after that.

I predict you're wrong. Time will tell.

Yes when gasoline hits $10 a gallon, time will tell. The world isn't filled
with infinite gasoline supplies. My prediction still stands.


Hydrogen powered engines are at least 25 years away, according to
experts in the industry and academe.

I think it's sooner than that, which is why hybrids and full-electrics will
be the standard between today's fully gasolined cars and tomorrow's
hydrogen-powered ones. Already, there's a waiting list for the few hybrids
that are already on the market, with auto makers starting to offer even more
models on the horizon.

Have you been to any auto shows, lately? You'll see what I mean.


Will all CD players come standardized with DVD-A or SACD? Or will
another
technology come along immediately thereafter and render these two
obsolete
within a short period of time?

Maybe from the viewpoint you're espousing -- that the only
differentiator between optical drives is the quantity of features. The
divide you're contemplating is not about technology, though.

No, it's about marketing, which was my whole point to begin with in the last
post.


With LPs, we had 60 years. With CDs we've had almost 25.

How long will DVD-A or SACD be around?

Who will win?

Why torture yourself? Kal was right about the plethora of multi-format
players on the market. They start at $50 or so.

I'm not "torturing" myself. What is it with these flowery words, anyway?
It's not my money I'm going to waste on a format that I consider still up in
the air. If one format loses out in the format wars, or manufacturers
decide to drop a hardware format in their players, then you'll be stuck with
a bunch of unplayable CDs. It doesn't take rocket-science to figure that
one out.

When all the makers agree on one format, OR all players are at least fully
multi-formated as standard, then I'll consider a change.

There are other factors to consider besides instant aural gratification. I
take those into account.