equill's point is well taken and I think it is more true today than several decades ago as Charlieman cites. In particular, my Mother's printer failed just over the warranty period and HP's response to her support call was, "buy a new one, it'll cost less". We got her a new HP despite our frustration with them and I noted the plastic was very thin and cheap. Despite being a bit larger than a compact Macintosh, it was significantly lighter than a gutted plastic case of a Macintosh alone. I mean those old Macs were sturdy.
What is interesting is that mid to high end stereo equipment has almost always been crafted in wood, metal and glass cases as if to withstand the ages. That tradition continues today even though the standards keep changing every couple of years. Finally computers have caught up with that trend. Kitchen appliances have returned to similar stainless construction, like my grandmother's 30's era toaster in chrome and Bakelight which still looks brand new. Perhaps plastic housings were just a brief flirtation in the later part of the 20th century awaiting practical metal fabrication techniques to catch up with industrial designer's visions?
As for "Apple Design" it truly is a treat at current prices of well over $100. I'm even thinking of scanning mine and selling the tome myself. A little OCR in the processes will make it far easier to locate passages than its present anemic index.
What is interesting is that mid to high end stereo equipment has almost always been crafted in wood, metal and glass cases as if to withstand the ages. That tradition continues today even though the standards keep changing every couple of years. Finally computers have caught up with that trend. Kitchen appliances have returned to similar stainless construction, like my grandmother's 30's era toaster in chrome and Bakelight which still looks brand new. Perhaps plastic housings were just a brief flirtation in the later part of the 20th century awaiting practical metal fabrication techniques to catch up with industrial designer's visions?
As for "Apple Design" it truly is a treat at current prices of well over $100. I'm even thinking of scanning mine and selling the tome myself. A little OCR in the processes will make it far easier to locate passages than its present anemic index.