Once I was tasked with replacing the controller of a fluid delivery system which involved upgrading it from analog to digital control.

I built a new controller with a digital display and a tactile front panel and it worked well, nice and modern and more importantly it delivered repeatable volumes.

The problem came when the users of the old system which featured 70′s knobs for adjustment and had to be continuously fiddled with during use as it would drift the delivery volumes as the machine heated up were asked to test the first prototype.

They claimed my machine was inaccurate, wouldn’t work, too slow and a bunch of other excuses of which none were specifically valid, and in one case physically impossible.

Even though I built the machine I was asked to build the boss of the company in the end demanded that the pump controller have a ‘knob’ for adjustment of the delivery volumes.

All of this was being done directly in assembly language so the development cycle time just kept slipping and slipping.

Anyway with the new improved ‘knob’ the users loved it and one told me how if you pulled on the knob slightly it would work better, just like the old one. (Arghhh..!)

So yea, familiarity does have an impact on the positive perception of certain criteria.

Do you think I’m proposing a specific alternative to eclipse or supporting a suggested reason for “religious” disagreements?

Like windows vs mac, ford vs holden, outlook vs thunderbird, etc etc etc.

Duh :p