SL>> Styling is a funny thing. Perhaps the Courier casing has been around for

 SL>> such a long time that's it's become part of the Courier image. You know,

 SL>> "it's not a Courier if it doesn't come with the black
wedge casing".



 db> Perhaps.  A bit like motorcars, I guess.



 SL>> However, I don't like the Netcomm Roadster's outer design (especially

 SL>> the transparent plastic version).



 db> My boss has one of the transparent Roadsters .. "Limited
Edition" my 

 db> foot, what

 db> a bloody ugly contraption.  :-(  (Doesn't perform all that well, either.)



 SL>> The Maestro's tower design seems a good space-saving idea.



 db> Yeah, seen one of them - they look quite neat, too.



 SL>> Who can forget the connection between Netcomm and marble? I was waiting

 SL>> for a Netcomm case to come with a faux marble plastic exterior :-)



What about the GOLD edition. I saw a real gold plated Netcom modem that they

were trying to frog at PC94 as a "Collectors Item".



I thought shit was still shit, If it was in a gold plated box or just on the

footpath. 



 db> They used to have a marble-like exterior on the boxes of the SmartModem 

 db> range a

 db> few years ago, and even the manuals started going upmarket.  The current

 db> shipping boxes, however, are more of the hype-driven style.  Yuck.  As 

 db> you

 db> said, style can be a funny thing.



 SL>> Like those Logitech mice with the "marble, wood,
leather" plastic

 SL>> casing.



 db> I remember seeing a rodent range that had "paintings" on
them - to 

 db> somehow make

 db> the mice classic collectables in their own right!  :-)



 SL>> I've noticed that USR prefers wedgy, clunky styling e.g. the Sportster

 SL>> VI and the Sportster DSVD are examples of new USR modems that reflect

 SL>> this. It's hard to visualise a USR with curvy styling a la Netcomm.

 SL>> Perhaps its part of US culture to go for big and edgy? :-)



Hey, If it is big, It MUST be better. Remember their style in cars over there.



 db> Could be - could be the very reason why the Europeans and Japanese keep 

 db> beating

 db> the crap out of the Americans in business, resulting in the incumbent 

 db> U.S.

 db> President trotting around the world warning people to stop murdering U.S.

 db> businesses.  :-)



Russell





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