In a message dated 96-02-01 15:46:21 EST, carl.deckard@eng.clemson.edu (Carl
Deckard) writes:
>t
Every case is different - so it may be better not to over generalize.
One example: Can you deny Chester Carlson's rightful place in history?
Afterall : 1.) his 1939 patent application does not teach enough to allow
one who is skilled in the art to build a copy machine, 2.) his prototype
machine failed, and 3) it took two decades of outside help - from both
Battelle and Haloid to get the legendary 914 on the market.
Contrast that starry-eyed vision of 1939 with the 'whatever' Xerox had left
in the 1970's - when they actually had a working personal computer and a
working laser printer (actually working!). It then took years before the
magic ingredient was added - before vision by the right people. Vision.
I suppose there there are plenty of stories for both sides of the argument -
and, probably, no easy answers.
Norman Kinzie
Laminar Systems, Inc.
45 Brentwood Circle
Needham, MA 02192
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