Are linear tracking arms better than pivoted arms?

Dear Darkmoebius, in teh early 1930ies you could order from H.H.Scott a "Quaranta". If you did so - and included all possible features including your own recording device with cutting lathe... - it would have cost you US$5000+ in the early 1930ies.
Compared in status and buying power of the day it surpasses anything that is marketing today just to fulfill the demand of some east asian audio collectors to show off their wealth within their peer group.
There were always options to spend real big money on audio. You could get AEG/Telefunken/Siemens or ERPI WE Mirrorphonic to built and set-up a cinema-like audio set-up in your private home. Things like these were done both sides of the Atlantic in the years between the 2 big wars and they did cost more than any of us could possibly imagine.
The world was there before any of us - there is nothing new today - just more hype, less seriousness (in design - not in talking about...), less education and less background in audio.

We oldsters were so lucky to have dynakit, KLH and so on to give us a taste of what the rich had with McIntosh,Bozak,Marantz........
We also got lucky with stereo as a standard, with tons of recordings already available (on tape) in the format prior to the development of stereo records. Stereo on a five or seven channel home theater setup sounds confused and less than inspiring. I watch DVD concerts on occasion, but generally finish with the CD copy in my audio room. We need to convert a Steve Jobs to quality audio recording. Perhaps we could send Dave Wilson.
But then again, I am preaching to the choir.

03-18-10: Dertonarm
Dear Darkmoebius, in teh early 1930ies you could order from H.H.Scott a "Quaranta". If you did so - and included all possible features including your own recording device with cutting lathe... - it would have cost you US$5000+ in the early 1930ies.

Yowsa, that's a few mill in today's dollars!

There were always options to spend real big money on audio. You could get AEG/Telefunken/Siemens or ERPI WE Mirrorphonic to built and set-up a cinema-like audio set-up in your private home.

Bet that cost a few nickels, back in the day.

1960's favorite system. AR turntable w/ Sure $100, Dyna SCA 35 $100, AR4X speakers $100
That $300 today would need a zero added. Today's $3000 system would have much higher resolution.
High end, say K-horns, Mac 275, Marantz 7C, Thorens 124, Grado arm, would cost what, $2500, or in todays terms, $25,000.
The rest of the system would be good value for money today, but who would swap their current turntable for a TD 124? So you turntable/arm/cart guys have made the most progress.

The rest of the system would be good value for money today, but who would swap their current turntable for a TD 124?

actually; the basic guts of a 40+ year old Thorens or Garrard idler, or a 30-40 year old direct drive EMT, Technics, Sony or Pioneer....with a modern arm, improved plinth, and LOMC cartridge can compete on the highest level of tt performance.

my Garrard 301 and Technics SP-10 Mk3 are really wonderful tt's in every way.