The innovation killer

The standard.

Just when you thought it was over. They came up with a new. That's an effective way to let no other then the true innovators adapt the technology while leaving the rest of us in doubt.

Take the WAP cellulars. Before the first version hit the stores the press told us we should better wait for version 1.2. Why was it a version 1.2 before anybody knew what people would use the phones for?  Would we seen another turn in the development without the hype and with a more user-centric strategy?

Although it has started well I am getting a little worried about what happens with Wi-Fi. From one standard that has made it extremely easy to share Internet access in your home network and to hook up to the broadband at Starbucks it now gets complicated. One standard has become at least four and suddenly the customer has to make more complicated decisisions. Just when the technology is about to cross the chasm, going from the early adopters to an early majority.

Read about the different standards in this handy CNet Article.