Tim writes: > There is no way to control fundamental breakthroughs, whether PV > conversion or "caburetors that violate the laws of physics!." Any of > the above non-oil companies (and one can add Texas Instruments and > others to the list) which develops a more efficient, cheaper to > manufacture PV system will find success.
Ovshinsky, the amorphous semiconductor guy, developed a relatively efficient photovoltaic film that could be manufactured by continuous extrusion by a simple machine. For some reason, that never hit the big time either. While I will agree with you that fundamental breakthroughs cannot be put back into Pandora's Box, some industries, like automobile manufacturing, have high costs of entry due to regulation and safety requirements. Thus, snidely saying "you are free to start your own car company" is just a tiny bit disingenuous. As a recent article linked from Slashdot informs us, gadgets sink or swim based on "The Whole Product", which includes not only the clever engineering, but the service and support, availability of software, interoperability, consumer culture, the upgrade path, and the perception the company will be around tomorrow. The typical Wintel PC contains not the best microprocessor, not the best bus, most certainly not the best OS. You are "free to start your own computer company," of course. -- Eric Michael Cordian 0+ O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"
