Re: Death of the MD

On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:24:59 -0700, steven.sawyer@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote
(in article <LPhLi.387$DF2.158@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>):

> "Sonnova" <sonnova@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:0001HW.C32286A20B85E1FEF0182648@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> MiniDisc was killed (or at least eclipsed) by the iPod and the amateur
>> recording market is simply too small of a niche to sup****t the format,
it
>> seems.
> Sony brought this on themselves by trying to market MiniDisc as an 
> alternative to MP3 players.  The MiniDisc was designed to replace the 
> cassette tape.  It's meant for folks that want to back up their CDs and
LPs 
> and use the Minidiscs in ****table devices as well as the car.  I still 
> believe if Sony produced a HiMD car stereo - it would sell.  There are
very 
> few car stereos that interface well with an iPod.  It's much easier to
slap 
> a Minidisc into a car stereo than fiddle with controls to find what you
want 
> on the iPod.  People still use CDs in the car and I still see numerous 
> individuals walking around with ****table CD players.  These are the
folks 
> Minidiscs should have been marketed to - not the iPod crowd.
> 
>> The future belongs to solid-state storage. There simply is little
reason 
>> to
>> put-up with mecahnical media any more . While MiniDisc technology is a 
>> marvel
>> of miniaturization, there is little doubt that a recorder/player format

>> with
>> NO moving parts should be superior.
>> 
> Sony could do well with their HDD players, but again they don't know how
to 
> market in the West.  The players are just too difficult to use.  And I'm

> completely baffled by the new 800 series.  The US pricing is just too
high 
> for them to compete with iPods.  I think Sony is chasing after too many 
> markets and not making progress in any of them.
> Steve 
> 
> 

That about sums it up, I think.