[Leica] Re: POOR DR. Blacktape: was re: Leica camera rumours

[Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>]

At 03:14 PM 10/13/99 -0400, Aaron Ruby wrote:
>
>POOR POOR Dr. Blacktape.
>
>According to the Dr., if Leica disappeared tomorrow the following would
>happen: existing cameras would still work just as well and be capable of
>carrying out their function just as efficiently as ever (producing sharp
>images when properly focused, etc.). How would the situation be any different
>for the Apple products? Would they not continue to perform just as
>efficiently, accomplishing their tasks with the same speed and accuracy as
>ever?
>
>Aaron

Aaron,

No.

You forget that a five or ten year old computer is all but useless. It's
the software base that makes a computer, not the hardware. And as time
passes, software is improved and will not be improved for an obsolete
machine. No new printer drivers, no firewire or USB upgrades, no networking
upgrades, nothing. You may be able to fix the hardware, but it will not run
the modern software base.

On the other hand, the Leica M3 works just as well as the new M6 TTL HM.
The software (film) keeps changing, but the machine (M3, M2, M4, M6) will
still use anything that is produced in 35mm.

If Apple went out of business, their machines and user base would die a,
slow at first, then a quick death. Anybody out there still running an 8080
and CP/M and doing useful work?. Any original 6502 Apples out there still
running doing useful work? I still have my old CP/M machines. I still have
my old 486 laptops. For all intent and purposes, they are useless junk.

Leica makes machines that use film. It makes no difference to a Leica how
much 35mm film changes. Look at the films we have today .vs. those we had
in the 50's and 60's. The photographic profession can, and does, use Leica
equipment, regardless of age.

The computer profession cannot tolerate a machine that is over five years
old. You cannot even run Photoshop on an IBM 286/386/486 class machine. The
same quick obsolesce holds true for Apple products. How many B&W original
Macintoshes out there doing web searches?

The Leica camera industry is completely different than the Apple computer
industry. Like comparing Chocolate cake to raw Tofu.

Jim