If there's one lesson BeOS users have learned over the past five years or so, it's that when it comes to operating systems, the world at large doesn't respond readily to even the most impressive technical specifications.
On its own, great performance is not sufficient reason for people to drop their piles of Windows or Mac OS software and switch to BeOS. What the world wants are compelling solutions.
That's why vertical markets make more sense for relatively obscure platforms like BeOS. When people buy an expensive turnkey video or audio editing box, they don't necessarily care (or even know) on which operating system the solution is running. The client has a need to fill and is ready to spend money. Questions like compatibility with older software and mass-market buy-in are less important in vertical niche spaces than they are on the general user's desktop.
Be recognized and reacted to this fact when it re-focused its attention on the appliance market. But we rarely hear from BeOS developers who are making a go of it in vertical markets. A remarkable exception can be found in Dane Scott and his BRS TuneTracker radio-automation system.
Aside from its technical capabilities, which we'll get to in a minute, one of the most impressive things about TuneTracker is that it doesn't appeal only to existing BeOS users. In fact, TuneTracker isn't even available for download from its own website. Rather, the system is sold to radio stations looking for a good automation solution, rather than to individuals looking specifically for BeOS software. The stations that adopt TuneTracker don't necessarily care that it runs on BeOS, only that it fills a vacancy in the world of overpriced and finicky radio-automation software.
What's even more remarkable is that Dane Scott is not a software developer. But that fact hasn't stopped him from mustering the collective skills of a few volunteers*, the free-as-in-beer status of BeOS Personal Edition, and the unique capabilities of BeOS. With more than 20 years of real-world experience in the radio game, Dane recognized an opportunity waiting to happen, put together a package, and is effectively selling a BeOS software solution to organizations that couldn't give a stuff about the OS Wars. "A lot of people are being sold sledgehammers to drive thumbtacks. TuneTracker does a really nice and accurate job of driving thumbtacks," says Dane.
* TuneTracker consists of code contributed by Cedric Degea, Christopher Plymire, and yours truly. Marco Nelissen's SoundPlay provides many functions integral to TuneTracker's operation.
