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Jeffrey Jackson, very astutely, says: In short, when a firm cannot >obtain a cost advantage over competitors, it must differentiate its product >from competitors' products in order to be able to charge a premium for its >product. In layman's terms, they need to have something that they can point to >and say, "Hey, ours costs more because we provide you with <insert whizz-bang >feature here> that our competitors don't have". The idea is to create a >price/value trade-off that makes people feel that your product provides >greater value for the price. I will not get into whether this "value" is >perceived or actual. We don't have that much time.> >So, as a manufacturer of dive gear or a manufacturer of toothbrushes,....... I agree entirely with Jeff -- in fact I have a running gag to make that same point with some friends:toothbrushes and snorkels -- same thing -- they get re-invented once a week! Necessary? Certainly not! Do they both continue to sell more and more and more? Sure do! So -- I have developed a snorkel that brushes your teeth while you dive. It's gonna be a hit! Anybody want one? Operators are standing by. Fortunately, somebody now and then actually comes up with an innovation, an evolutionary change, thAt really works/helps and gets accepted: some diver and/or marketer, not afraid of experimenting, looked at horse-collar vests. Adapted them with LP fittings, put them on the back, between tank and pak, and gave us wings! Sure beats the hell out of using gallon jugs for BC. That's why I don't mind the experimentation and weird shit that shows up -- and refuse to get my knickers in a knot about it. I don't run out and buy it -- I just look to see what may be good or bad -- and let somebody else finance a company's continuing R&D ( which *is* necessary for progress, you know) until the good stuff shakes out. It's called "thinking for yourself." BTW, just out of curiosity, can anybody come up with a list of dive products that were proven to be fatal *specifically* because of design (and not operator fuck-up or beyond-design-capability use)? Should be interesting to see what is and isn't on that list. Christopher A. Brown The Technical Diving Video Library (TDVL) http://www.neuro.fsu.edu/dave/docent.htm (N.Am. & Canada): 1-800-373-7222 Outside US:904-942-7222 Fax:904-942-1240 Life is short -- this is not a rehearsal.
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