Killer Features vs. Pseudo Features

There was an interesting editorial on Gizmodo yesterday about "killer features" vs. "pseudo features", and how when the general market gets obsessed with the wrong one, good ideas die. The writer basically discusses from a camera perspective how there are hundreds of cameras out, all declaring the millions of little features that make the camera the best. People flock to the brand names, the popularity, and fancy wording, and the multitude of declared unique elements, and ignore the fact that all of those supposed special things really don't matter. But once in a while someone comes along and develops a "killer" feature, one that changes the way we can use our product, such as the new image stabilization feature in the Panasonic FX7. In the author's words: "In general, that will make your pictures noticeably sharper—all of them. It’ll also let you take pictures without a flash with a quarter the light that other cameras need...and it really works." Ultimately, he declares that paying attention to the one killer feature will make or break your buy, and unfortunately too many people don't follow this rule- leading good marketing to topple inovation, and leading superior products (he says Beta vs. VHS) to fall by the wayside.
-KBS