The opposite, here. Development costs are considered "free" (one firm actually went so far as to STATE that! "Last product pays for the development of the next product").
In a sense, this is a bit easier to manage -- you can look up the cost of a component whereas you can only *estimate* the cost of a development effort.
I now find everyday uses that make my life considerably easier. E.g., having all of my files (on ~200 drives) enumerated in one database saves me a sh*tload of time chasing down a particular file/project/document. And, frees me from having to artificially impose structure on those drives ("This drive will hold my music collection; this drive will hold projects A, B and C; this drive will hold databooks/datasheets; etc.)
In your case, the effect isn't as profound. In *my* case, it makes entirely different design approaches "affordable". E.g., I no longer have to write 24-bit floating point libraries (to economize on the costs of a 32 bit implementation), etc.
[it's another aspect of your "no more sets/bags"; it gets tiring having to reimplement the same old functionality with a new set of manufacturing constraints]
In my case, the PSU is in the switch. Which makes things like battery-backing the entire system (spread out over thousands of square feet) trivial.
OTOH, it imposes limits on how much TOTAL power you can use in a particular device -- cuz it ALL has to be delivered over the wire.
Spot on :) I still have the pocket handbook, and probably an audio tape of it clucking like a broody hen while "fetching Algol".
I used one at the Ewell Tech (near my school) in the lower sixth. I almost went to Bangor to do EE, but opted for Southampton.
If you get the chance to go to TNMoC /next/ to Bletchley Park, you can see one operating and discuss the schematics with the staff. That's my kind of museum :)
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