Lots of opinions about the fight over video formats. The point on which the "market" is given most credit is tied to who distributed the most "stuff" to people who then needed the machines to play the "stuff" on. The demand for, and distribution of, some particular "stuff" gave the edge on actual existence of hardware in the hands of users for VHS when it came time for the other formats to make their charge or retreat decisions. Other factors had much influence, of course, so giving too much credit in one place is still a little risky.

Of course lots of those decisions were made at a time when very few people would admit that they had a player to watch "that stuff" on; but it seems that a lot of people old enough to have been participants in that era now seem a bit more willing to "come out" about it. That may be partly because the current generation more likely remembers that "daddy had that stuff" so there's a once-removed level of guilt.

Hardly anyone - then - admitted that they bought a Polaroid Instant Camera for ... ... (but there's lots of "collectons" more recently exhibited).

Of course I never did ... that kind of ...

John