Are PCs well designed?

desktoppipeline.com has been running a poll about computer and case designs and how frustrating they might be to upgrade or repair.

This is my comment: "Name-brand and some white-box systems manipulate consumers with underhanded and, I think, darn right immoral methods that force users to cope with the increased costs and frustrations of proprietary case and device mounting designs. While building systems for more than 20 years, I've encountered outright foolishness in the way manufacturers try to 'put one over on us'. I tell my friends and customers to stay away from firms that have lousy motives. Poor design indicates rough and ruthless policies toward customers. The technical media has let us down over the years by ignoring the hundreds of dozens of selfish and sloppy con jobs by box makers and job shops -- no matter how esteemed the brands might purport to be. The marriage of plastics, steel and silicone industries is a pure commodities play once outside of the systems house. The tricks used to catch the unwary are common. And they are most often insulting and phony. Pseudo-sophisticated marketeers that seek to trap customers damage the computing world. Tricks and con jobs cost us billions of dollars. These rednecks have caused much heartache and expense over the years. "