I want to rant about Sony. I'm talking Blu-ray, BetaMax, burning batteries and root-kits.

Why do we put up with them? Because they're better? I've personally been captured by their ability to market their technical prowess to the unsuspecting public. They have lots of ideas, some good and some that are strictly bad.

Concerning the root-kit.

This is software that is installed by a Sony BMG Audio CD that you didn't ask for and you can't (couldn't) easily get rid of. It allows hackers a new way to get into your system undetected as well as its designed function of not allow you to rip or copy your own CD's. I was loath to purchase a SONY laptop after hearing this...what's to keep them from pre-installing it on their own systems? My last two laptops were therefore purchased from HP and Dell instead.

This line cut'n'pasted from WIKI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_root_kit

"On a National Public Radio program, Thomas Hesse, President of Sony BMG's global digital business division asked "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"[21] He explained that "The software is designed to protect our CDs from unauthorized copying and ripping."

...so now I don't trust them. How arrogant of them (him) to assume that it was ok for them to invade my already precariously unstable operating system! It's hard enough to keep XP running properly without added complexities.

My buying patterns have unswervingly changed. My current and next camera won't say SONY on it. My previous one WAS a SONY Mavica but was replaced with a Canon. My current headphones are from JVC while my last was a SONY noise canceling wonder. My new TV is not SONY and my next LCD HDTV will not be either.

Concerning Blu-ray.

Although obviously jaded by the Root-kits, I have to admit that the Blu-ray technology is superior to HD DVD. Also, I have to add it is superior just as sony-betamax tape format is superior to VHS. But that failed to gain the momentum necessary to get it to be the mainstream format. Sony is taking the necessary steps to make sure that they not only have a quorum, but will devastate the HD DVD format with their sign-on partners who are already implementing the Blu-ray technology from the hardware end (equipment) and from the talent end (movies). Unlike the betamax loss, I predict a large degree of success for Sony in this format war.

Concerning Laptop Batteries.

Everyone (as in lap top manufacturers and rebranders) wouldn't be using sony batteries if they weren't cheaper or better or easier to get for their laptop offerings. That they melted or lit on fire is so minor. Their publicity wasn't so good but I don't think they lost much business because of it. It was another faux pas but a survivable one.

Conclusion:

I'm not advocating that you boycott this company. I'm going to but I have to stick to my convictions. It's a personal decision. I won't hate you if you buy a sony product but I will sneer at you at some point. Anyone who purposefully installs malware on my computer is my enemy and will get a minimum of my money from then on. I don't think I can avoid them in perpetuity because they have some remarkable technical advantages that other companies can't seem to match. When the world sells only Blu-ray DVDs for HD, then I'll be back on the Sony bandwagon. After all, you just have to watch it in HD.