One of the things I've noticed in our 21st century economy is how quickly products come and go.
Companies - and the products they produce - go belly up, get bought up, get axed, get upgraded. And because of it, that terrific gadget or service you had your eye on -- the one that was going to boost your profits big-time -- is no longer available.
The Sad Saga of CoolEdit 2000
I had this experience rear up and bite me on the you-know-what a few years ago. But it still serves as a cautionary tale for today's entrepreneurs . For years, CoolEdit 2000 was the premiere entry level digital audio editing program, a cheap way for folks to begin editing and creating their own audio right on their laptop. And because CoolEdit was designed for beginners, it didn't contain the confusing bells and whistles that are terrific for musicians, but redundant for voice-based information products.
Unfortunately the folks that make CoolEdit 2000 were bought up by software giant Adobe. A terrific endorsement of digital audio by a company that chooses its products carefully. However, profit-hungry Adobe eliminated the $79 CoolEdit 2000, and only kept its more expensive cousin, which it now sells as the $299 Adobe Audition.
So if you were one of the thousands who were waiting until you got your script written in order to buy your CoolEdit 2000, you're out of luck. Adobe owns CoolEdit 2000, and they ain't makin' it any more.
Sure there are a few other alternatives out there. But CoolEdit 2000 was one of the most highly regarded entry-level audio editors on the market. And now, its gone. And since the margin on a $299 product trumps that of the $79 product, I don't expect it to return, no matter how many nasty letters people write to Adobe. (hint, hint!)
In our mile-a-minute business world, this trend will only accelerate, leaving many of us to long for the product that could have made a huge difference in our business, but is no longer available.
So, if you have your eye on that dream product -- whether its for audio or anything else -- you might want to buy it now, while you can. Sure, it might put you out some extra bucks. But that's nothing compared to how put out YOU will be when you find that the product or service that could have made all the difference for your business is now gone -- forever.
