| slovo | definícia |
connector conspiracy
(foldoc) | connector conspiracy
The tendency of manufacturers (or, by
extension, other designers) to come up with products that
don't fit with the old stuff, thereby making you buy either
all new stuff or expensive interface devices.
The term probably came into prominence with the appearance of
the DEC KL-10, none of whose connectors matched anything
else. The KL-10 Massbus connector was actually *patented*
by DEC, who reputedly refused to licence the design, thus
effectively locking out competition for the lucrative Massbus
peripherals market. This policy was a source of frustration
for the owners of dying, obsolescent disk and tape drives.
A related phenomenon is the invention of new screw heads so
that only Designated Persons, possessing the magic
screwdrivers, can remove covers and make repairs or install
options. Older Apple Macintoshes took this one step
further, requiring not only a hex wrench but a specialised
case-cracking tool to open the box.
With the advent of more open-systems computing this term has
fallen somewhat into disuse.
Compare backward combatability.
[Jargon File]
(2010-02-04)
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connector conspiracy
(jargon) | connector conspiracy
n.
[probably came into prominence with the appearance of the KL-10 (one model
of the PDP-10), none of whose connectors matched anything else] The
tendency of manufacturers (or, by extension, programmers or purveyors of
anything) to come up with new products that don't fit together with the old
stuff, thereby making you buy either all new stuff or expensive interface
devices.
(A closely related phenomenon, with a slightly different intent, is the
habit manufacturers have of inventing new screw heads so that only
Designated Persons, possessing the magic screwdrivers, can remove covers
and make repairs or install options. A good 1990s example is the use of
Torx screws for cable-TV set-top boxes. Older Apple Macintoshes took this
one step further, requiring not only a long Torx screwdriver but a
specialized case-cracking tool to open the box.)
In these latter days of open-systems computing this term has fallen
somewhat into disuse, to be replaced by the observation that “Standards are
great! There are so many of them to choose from!” Compare {backward
combatability}.
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