Maximal Unviable Products

blog.leanstart.ch

39 points·HerrMonnezza··5 comments

Stereo8 or "8track" in the vernacular of the time allowed for the selection between four stereo programs, not eight (there were two tracks per program).

One problem from a content standpoint was aligning songs within the fixed time provided by the loop. It was not uncommon for a song to span programs creating a break in the piece and a mechanical thunking sound. Compact cassette allowed more graceful handling of differences in the length of its programs (though not as graceful a handling as the LP format).

On the other hand, Stereo8 had an excellent functional interface. Loading and playing a tape was simpler than the LP which preceded it and the cassettes which followed.

I think another big reason for the success of the cassette was that you could record your own. I remember 8 track, and while I'm sure you could buy decks that did recording, I don't remember anyone I knew having one, and I don't ever recall seeing blank 8-track cartridges for sale.

Maybe it would have been more illustrative to pick something that wasn't actually a commercial success? :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_tape#Commercial_success

> I don’t know how Philips designed Compact Cassette, but if they were not purposedly user-centered, at least they had better luck.

If it wasn't luck, then Philips lost something along the way. In Dutch tech circles, Philips is infamous for continuously making exactly the fault that the RCA made in this article: too much invention, too little market research.

I would really like to read about the compact cassette design history. It's a really remarkable product in which you can appreciate a long list of trade-offs made by the designer(s).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com