> This somewhat implies that normal stuff is designed to be UNreliable. ;-)

Of course it is, everything has a designed lifetime, even the on/off button 
on the front of your computer.  Why put a switch that is guaranteed to have 

situations call for this sort of reliability though, and you pay for it.

The tiny plugs/sockets that are used inside laptops and mobile phones etc 
often have a designed lifetime of just *ONE* operation!  It means everything 
can be made much smaller and thinner and hence cheaper, but of course you 
wouldn't use one of these if you were expecting to actually use the plug 
regularly.

> I'm just wondering whether they actually did anything different at all for 
> the extra money, that's all.

Well they must have done if they are guaranteeing it for critical use.  If 
they didn't they risk being in a lot of trouble when things do fail (or 
maybe there is even some law that is relevant, I don't know).  Are they ISO 
9000 accredited?


> it'll take up to 15 days to arrive. But actually it arrives within 12 

> And it still arrives within 12 hours. Do they actually do anything 
> different? Or is it just a tax on stupidity?

Again, paying extra is guaranteeing next day delivery, it means more work 
for them, more work for the delivery company, and hence is more expensive. 
Of course if they happen to have space on the truck they'll probably fill it 
up with non-next-day orders - but it's not guaranteed.  If the truck is full 
and they still have next day orders to ship, they get another truck over, 
which isn't free.

> [Seriously - WTF does a mass spectrometer even have in it? It's just an 
> empty tube, some vacuum pumps, an electrode and some magnets. So is my TV! 
> Well, apart from the vacuum pumps anyway... And yet, my TV doesn't cost 
> more than a small housing estate. Wuh??]

How many TVs do you think have been made in total?  How many mass 
spectrometers?

What do you think is the tolerance on TVs?  Would you care if the green on 
the UK weather map looks a slightly different shade to your neighbour?

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