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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rochester!ritcv!cci632!mark
From: mark@cci632.UUCP (Mark Stevans)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng,misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Design Examples Needed
Message-ID: <1121@cci632.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Apr-87 09:44:21 EST
Article-I.D.: cci632.1121
Posted: Thu Apr 16 09:44:21 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Apr-87 09:46:29 EST
References: <339@sdics.ucsd.EDU> <16728@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: mark@cci632.UUCP (Mark Stevans)
Organization: CCI, Communications Systems Division, Rochester, NY
Lines: 30
Keywords: Design, usability, cog engineering
Xref: mnetor comp.cog-eng:95 misc.consumers:1392

In article <16728@sun.uucp> mmp%cuba@Sun.COM (Matt M. Perez [Graphics Projects]) writes:
>In article <339@sdics.ucsd.EDU>, norman@sdics.ucsd.EDU (Donald A. Norman) writes:
>
>> sections is entitled: watch out for things that have won a prize").
>> 
>Check out Bang & Olefsun audio equipment.  It is great looking,
>sleek, and very easy to use.  And that even when it's won
>prizes! I like their older stuff better than the new.  Except
>their CD player, their newer stuff is just gadgety, and not
>very nice looking.

B&O audio proves Don's point, not disproves it.

B&O has won zillions of design prizes.  Their equipment is indeed great-
looking, and easy to use.

However, B&O units cost much, much more than functionally equivalent units
made by companies less obsessed with winning design awards, say JVC or Sony.
I do not believe that B&O equipment is as reliable as that of the
aforementioned manufacturers, and there are relatively few repair shops that
service B&O units.

I would compare B&O audio equipment to Saab cars.  Saab cars have won many
Eurodesign awards.  However, they are not especially reliable (according to
Consumer Reports), and there are very few places to get them serviced.  I
would buy a more reliable and lower priced yet functionally equivalent
Japanese car over a Saab.

					Mark Stevans
					cci632!mark