Lou Ottens, inventor of cassette tape, has died

Re:Lou Ottens, inventor of cassette tape, has died by parsimo2010 on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @10:17AM (#26412080)

It’s not like Sony and Philips are friends. They’re competitors. And the reason Philips wanted 11.5 cm is because it gave them an advantage, aka just to screw Sony over. This is normal business, not some moral failing.

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Re:Lou Ottens, inventor of cassette tape, has died by rowanG077 on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @03:46PM (#26415977)

Actually it is a moral failing. All that equipment had to be end of lifed earlier and much more work had to be put in. More garbage, more wasted energy. I can't see how that is anything but a moral failing.

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Re:Lou Ottens, inventor of cassette tape, has died by rexpop on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @05:40PM (#26417410)

I agree, and am glad you recognize it as such. When Sony erased Philips' "head-start", they obsoleted an investment made with the finite endowment of global resources (not to mention time). It's an underhanded tactic which disadvantages everyone to advantage a few.

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