I sometimes feel that the computer industry is trying to destroy SCSI, or at the least, lock the low and midrange market out of it completely. I know this sounds harsh, but just look at the evidence:
- SCSI devices usually cost much more than equivalent devices with a different interface. Look at SCSI Scanners vs. USB Scanners, SCSI hard disks vs. IDE hard disks, and so on. With hard disks, the price difference can be vast; a modern 18GB SCSI drive costs the same as a modern 60GB IDE drive.
- It is difficult to find devices with a SCSI interface in mass market computer stores. If the mass market isn't allowed to adopt it, the prices will never go down.
- Apple Computer has abolished on-board SCSI in their machines recently. Apple was once the primary supporter of SCSI in the consumer market, but they recently defected to IDE and USB as well.
- The IDE bus is just now starting to perform as well as Ultra2 SCSI did a few years ago. The industry could have adopted SCSI instead of continuing to improve IDE, which was poorly designed from the start.
SCSI is a very
powerful interface. Its high cost is entirely
artificial; the
computer industry is trying to keep it out of the hands of regular
consumers so that it can continue to
milk the high end. This is another example of better
technology giving way to an
inferior solution.