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From the old adage penny
for your thoughts, due to rising inflation it is now a dime. March, 2008
Featured Lyrics: I have the photo album spread out on the bedroom floor; it's time to say it, time to say it; good bye, goodbye
Photograph, by Nickleback from the album, All the Right Reasons |
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Instead of taking film to the store to be developed, the camera would print the picture for you. The camera was a favorite among many artists, who would take a picture of a landscape and then paint that landscape. Polaroids were used by police departments, photographers and anyone that wanted that "instant memory". The company will be closing the factories that made the film and laying-off 150 from their Massachusetts plants. They will also be closing factories in the Netherlands and Mexico, laying-off another 300 employees from those two facilities. The employees and executives at the Concord Massachusetts offices will remain. In its glory days Polaroid employed 21,000 globally, which is now down to 450 in the Concord, MA headquarters. Ironically, Polaroid was one of the first companies that manufactured digital cameras. The 50 year legacy of one of the greatest innovations is now over, due to the popularity of digital photography. The company is moving back to that Digital medium, which was a failed venture for them in the 90s. The other big move for the company is a new printer that prints an instant film the size of a business card. The company struck a deal with Zink Inc. of Bedford, MA. Zink is a company founded by former Polaroid scientists and they will be selling the printer under the Polaroid name. The printer will make hard copy photos from cell phone images and other digital images. All may not be lost tough, Fuji film is now making the film that is used by Polaroid cameras. Other products made by Polaroid include, Video tapes, and Polarized sun glasses Polaroid now places their name on several other products including TVs, DVD players, digital cameras
Time for me to drop a dime: This is the end of the instant age, well, not quite since Fuji still makes an instant camera. Though digital is the big medium today, I still think there is a place for an instant camera. Polaroid would have been wise to create a camera that could do both. You could take a picture in digital format and if you wanted a hard copy, you could have the camera print one. If you want prints you still have to take it to the store and have it printed and many people still did. Polaroid has been accused of serious blunders in management in recent years, so maybe we have another blunder. Of course there are several printers on the market that will print your pictures, but wouldn't it be great to have a combo camera. Still, the iconic camera is one of the greatest innovations of the 20th century, even if it couldn't make it in the 21st century. my 10 cents worth
of wisdom.
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Dime
For Your Thoughts?
This
February, Polaroid announced that after 2009 it will no longer sell
the instant film used in its cameras, it discontinued manufacturing
the well known instant camera in 2007. With the emergence of digital
photography, sales were down. Polaroid said they will look to other
products, including digital cameras.
Polaroid
began in 1937, but it wasn't until 1948 that the famous camera came
to the marketplace. Though the original product created by the company
was polarized lens, the camera quickly became its signature product
after it was brought to the market. 
