Standards

Now, I'm not usually one to espouse standardization. However, some things I think NEED to be standardized. In the early days of the personal computer, power cords, and peripheral cables were all pretty much the same. I could take the power cord from an IBM PC and use it on a Compaq PC. Or even on an Okidata dot-matrix printer, or any number of devices. For desktop computers, that still remains the same. But if you look at laptop computers (and I have had hands-on with many), the power cords all have different connections. Even among laptops from the same brand, but different models.

Okay, maybe they all have different output voltages on their associated AC adapters. Couldn't they have made them to all conform to a standard voltage?

And remoted controls. Why does every bloody manufacturer have to have their own IR codes to perform the same stupid functions? I should be able to pick up any remote for any television and perform the same basic functions; Power On, Change Channels, Volume, Mute, Menu, 0-9, Up Down Left Right, and Select. I shouldn't have to buy a universal remote only to pick through a listing of manufacturer codes to find that NONE of them work.

And how about standard IR codes for the various multi-media devices that are out there, too? I've got a DVD player and a VCR recorder. All DVD players should have the same IR standards, too; Play, Stop, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, Skip Track (both ways), Disc Menu, Device Menu, 0-9, Up Down Left Right, and Select.

Sometimes it just drives me nuts.