The Static Page

When Leading Edge becomes Normal.

I hear several terms associated with advancing technology. Being on the Leading Edge generally means being further ahead of the development curve than the masses. Whilst not exactly a brand new path, it is usually in the steps of someone who believes they know where the masses are heading. It is a risky location as you might be left stranded with something that fails to catch on, although it usually works they way you want it to. For a while.

A little further ahead is sometimes called Cutting Edge. There is generally where the trail is being blazed. The risk here is a little different: you might find the new technology simply doesn't work out. The potential losses are higher. But then the potential gain is higher, too. Still further ahead would be called the Bleeding Edge. This often means you're actually blazing the trail and as the name implies, it is a very risky position, full of experimentation and often big losses. This is where R&D is done. But none of these stay stationary. The whole point of all them is that what works at Bleeding Edge becomes Cutting Edge and what works at Cutting Edge becomes Leading Edge and what is at Leading Edge will become Mainstream or will get forgotten.

Following something from Leading Edge into Mainstream can be a curious experience. There is often a certain thrill in being Leading Edge and you can take a certain delight in showing your Leading Edge technology. It is usually exciting when, over time, more and more people understand or already know about what you have. And it gets easier to keep using it or to use it more. But then it starts becoming seriously mainstream and showing it off stops working.

Sony's MiniDisc is currently making the transition from Leading Edge to Mainstream. Such a transition need not happen quickly and this time it isn't. MiniDisc was intended all along to replace the Compact Cassette invented by Philips decades ago, but there is still a huge entrenched base of cassettes and cassette players and recorders making the process very slow. The time appears ripe as pre-recorded cassettes are fast disappearing from music stores. Blank cassettes are still in some abundance, as recordable CD is still Leading Edge. (It's interesting that in Japan, blank MiniDiscs are everywhere but blank cassettes are hard to find.) I was quite surprised when I recently encountered three decidedly non-techno-geek acquaintances who started investing in MiniDisc. I don't know whether or not to mourn the loss of its status as a Leading Edge product. :-/

However, MiniDiscs are just one example, and perhaps a banal one at that. (Sony already has the next Leading Edge product on the market: Memory Sticks.) Many other things both in and outside IT will shift from Leading Edge to Mainstream within a decade or so. As I said, following something like that can be a curous experience. So what happens then? Do you stick with it? Or do you shift to a new Leading Edge product? What other Leading Edge products do you currently support? Are they going mainstream? Will you abandon them when they do?

Wade Bowmer aka Static.

Comments? Email me at static dash page at yceran dot org.