Tom,
I thought of another point that I keep forgetting to mention. (Alzheimer's must be setting in. <g>)
Back in 1990, way before the internet craze, I started a Bulletin Board System (BBS). I had been using modems for a while, so I knew exactly what kind of modem I wanted for my board. U.S. Robotics. There were other, much bigger names out there, like Hayes, but the USR modems were simply the fastest and best modems around at the time, and they were quickly becoming the defacto standard for BBS use. I started out with a Dual-Standard, which supported v.32 in addition to the proprietary HST modulation. (I later upgraded to a v.32bis capable Dual-Standard.)
When V.34 came out, I tried a Boca Research and a Microcom modem, since they beat USR to market. I wasn't satisfied with either one, returned them, and waited for a U.S. Robotics Courier V.Everything.
My point is that this is a clear case of a company providing technological superiority, well in advance of the market knowing anything about it. (I could have bought USRX in the early 1990's for $3.50!) My chart shows it peaked in 1996 at almost $100.00. 3Com bought them out recently, but I don't recall the price.
In its early days, USRX wasn't selling a ton of modems to the average guy. They started out selling to resellers and sysops. (USR had a VERY aggressive sysop program.) That drove demand on the user side, because those users wanted to connect at the highest possible speeds. Those of us that are long ANCR see the same type of growth potential for Fibre Channel.
This is one example where the superior technology did win out. Witness the fairly recent Hayes debacle for proof of that. By many accounts, Ancor has the superior technology, at least for now. Let's hope that translates into success in the Fibre Channel market.
Craig |
