The Sam Report: From Beta to Omega

Sam falls victim to nostalgia, this time not for the Amiga, but for something hauntingly similar

By Sam Ormes, Senior Editor, s.ormes@genie.com

Some things don't seem to get better. I have been having increasing attacks of nostalgia lately regarding Betamax. As the remaining components in my once fine Beta systems gradually deteriorate and the inferior VHS format gets more and more use, I lament the reality that sometimes the best creations are doomed to just fade away. Instead of being nurtured and developed further, the poor ole Beta lost out in the corporate marketing wars and today is close to total extinction. It did more with less, and for a brief period was king of the hill, but that was not enough to prevent a less efficient format from becoming the standard that would prevail worldwide.

I will continue using my Betas as long as they hold up, and will continue to admire its superior design. And I will try not to show my anger when kids in chatrooms ask ............... "What's an Omega?".