[Web4lib] Failed or transitory technologies, with an emphasis on libraries

[Dan Lester]

Hello B.G.,

Friday, December 14, 2007, 2:44:12 PM, you wrote:

>   Just curious...why list one old Apple product (Lisa) as "failed"
> and another (Apple II) as "transitory"??

Well, as noted, the examples were a first draft, and just like
anything in classification, we could argue interminably whether to put
the item a in classification b or c.  My favorite library school
example was back in DDC days (no flames, I know plenty still use it)
when we had to decide to put a book on Best Fried Chicken Recipes
under foods subdivided by cooking method or foods subdivided by food
being cooked.  And at least way back when, DDC allowed you to do
either one, somewhere in the 640s, I think.

But to answer the question, my feeble memory says that Lisas were only
on sale for a year or so and the ][ were for quite a few years.
Wikipedia says Lisas started in 83 and the last unsold ones went to a
landfill in 89.  It also says Apple ][ were from 77 into the early 90s.

Isn't this fun on a Friday afternoon?

-- 
Best regards,
 Dan                            mailto:dan at riverofdata.com