Digital BW, The Print

> Along the same lines:
>
> Adobe is supporting a new universal raw file format called Digital 
> Negative (DNG). More information here: 
> http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/main.html

Odd that Adobe listed the alleged benefits for photographers and
hardware/software manufacturers, but failed to list the benefits for
Adobe, even though they were the only reason for creating the format:

- Adobe can shore up its flagging profit picture by concocting a
brand-new "non-proprietary" proprietary file format, knowing that in the
computer world, whoever brings something first to market becomes the de
facto owner of it, whether it is technically "open" or not.  (Notice
that the symbol for the format already carries the "TM" trademark
assertion, which is a bit strange for something that Adobe claims is
non-proprietary.)

- By developing software in secret long before Adboe releases
specifications, Adobe already has products ready for market and a huge
head start on other vendors at the time the specs are released.

- Adobe can encourage the formation of an "open" committee to nourish
the standard, of which Adobe will of course be the founding and
controlling member.

- Adobe can continue to make subtle but incompatible changes to the
standard as "enhancements," always making sure that its own software is
modified to handle them _first_, so that other vendors must constantly
scramble to accommodate the changes.  This gives Adobe ever-increasing
market share.

- Adobe can leave the simplest part of the format "non-proprietary," and
then make a large set of virtually essential enhancements proprietary
and available only in its own software or under license.  If anyone
tries to work around this, Adobe will pull a fat list of patents out of
its hat and threaten the upstart.

Where do photographers and consumers fit in here?  The answer is, they
don't.  The whole idea is to make money; that's _always_ the whole idea.
You're just exchanging one raw, proprietary format for another--that way
you can pay Adobe money as well as the manufacturer of your camera.

It amazes me that people still fall for this sort of thing in
computerland.  Perhaps if Microsoft tried it there would be enough of an
upswelling of public opinion to make them back down, but too many people
still trust vendors like Adobe.  I guess they'll learn the hard way.