On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 08:46:39 GMT, "=\\^.^/= @\)\) catfish, creeping, creeping......." wrote:
Yeah, Eastman would like it if digital photography would
just go away. For them, it's like what the automobile did
for wagon makers.

...although Kodak's top-of-the-line digital SLR is one of the best and most
popular pro models on the market.

But it isn't nearly the moneymaker that selling film was, and Kodak
doesn't dominate the camera market the way it dominated the film
market. Kodak's photographic business was built on the Gillette
model. Cameras are a one time purchase, film is a continuing
one. They made their money on the film.

Kodak was very good at making film. Even if they're also very good
at making digital cameras, they aren't going to be able to dominate
that market the same way, or make the same sort of money they
made selling film, chemicals, paper, and franchised processing.

Look at how quickly the magnetic tape business is drying up. In a
few more years, it'll mostly be gone, and along with it the companies
whose expertise was in making it. Ampex is basically gone, 3M and
Maxell's tape businesses are hanging on by a thread. The same
thing is happening with the photographic film business.

Gary