Question

In the 1990s, Philips Electronics developed a new consumer electronics product called the Digital Compact Cassette player. DCC allowed users to record and playback in a new digital format; DCC was also designed to play the older, analog cassette tapes that many people own. This latter feature reflects which of the following characteristics of innovations?

1) relative advantage
2) communicability
3) compatibility
4) complexity
5) divisibility

Answer 1

The ability of the Philips Electronics' DCC player to play older, analog cassette tapes is an example of its compatibility. This characteristic allowed users to enjoy the benefits of new digital recording while maintaining usability with their existing tape collections.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the 1990s, Philips Electronics introduced the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) player, which was capable of recording and playing back in a new digital format and was also compatible with older, analog cassette tapes. The ability for the DCC to play these older tapes is an example of compatibility. Compatibility is a characteristic of innovations indicating how consistent a new product is with existing standards and products, thereby not necessitating a change in user behavior or environment. The DCC player provided a significant advantage by being able to play both new digital tapes and existing analog tapes, which was an important feature for consumers not willing or able to replace their entire collection of analog media.