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They make Mercedes SUVs in Alabama (no joke).
One of the more interesting things I found out
about the company is that Merecedes designers reputedly
won't add features to the car unless it has been
proven in practice. So neato new features that
show up in other car manufacturer designs such
as auto-dimming for headlights don't show up
in Mercedes designs for some time afterwards.
The design regime is very conservative but
apprarently, high quality component costs
and rigorous manufacturing processes drive
up the cost. Ease of use and reliability
ARE the criteria that drive the design.
What would a web browser designed that way
look like and what features now provided
would go away? I don't think we can compare
costs because the web browsers are free.
Would a modern day software vendor stay in
business if it had to use the Mercedes
design approach? Remember, the Mercedes
SUV is made in America, so the "Americans
build junk" phil won't wash. It is a matter
of what will a customer pay for something
considered disposable. Software is eminently
disposable. Data isn't. That is exactly why
markup came to be. It had nothing to do with
the web, loose coupling, message orientation,
OOPism, Bagism, etc.
len
From: Dare Obasanjo [mailto:dareo@microsoft.com]
A Buick is not better designed than a Mercedes unless your only criteria
for better design is cheaper.
> From: Elliotte Rusty Harold [mailto:elharo@metalab.unc.edu]
> If it's both cheaper and easier to drive, then I think the
> Buick is better designed. This assumes the use case for both
> cars are standard American highways and city roads and not
> the Indy 500. The only other factor that might argue in favor
> of the Mercedes design would be repair history and tendency
> to break down, but ease of use is a real concern, and one all
> too often overlooked in design.
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