Maxx Power
Cancelled
I think in the modern idea of engineering as a process to optimize the end solution for a few variables such as function, longevity/reliability, robustness, form, etc, there is now a heavy biased towards form, and more specifically, aesthetics. One could argue that function, reliability/longevity and so on are more objective ideals for an engineer, while aesthetics is more subjective.
I think that quite a lot of the products today (Apple or not) are starting to favor more on form, for whatever reason (and there are plenty, some shallow, some very deep). I would think that, as long as one doesn't sacrifice something objective and accomplishes that in a package that is aesthetically pleasing, the trade-off is a meaningful one. Often times though, the aesthetic-driven solution makes sacrifices in areas like expandability and upgradeability (and general service-friendliness) because the object becomes too complicated to service (that the user needs to be more and more skilled to work with it).
I suppose one day, some products will become state of the art in both function and form, and then you might require both engineering and arts degrees to service them, i.e., the mind of an engineer and the hands of an artist!
