>> Just think of all the navigation and control systems in a plane (both 
>> hardware and software),
>
> Not difficult to top. I mean, heck, we used to do *that* without any 
> computers at all.

But it's all done *with* computers today.

> As opposed to supporting several versions of CDMA and GSM, bluetooth, GPS, 
> HDTV, surround sound, and 3D graphics acceleration, all on one chip, 
> running

And that's just for the passenger entertainment system on-board :-)

>> And that's before you've even considered how complex a modern jet engine 
>> is, or the retractable landing gear, the control surfaces, the control 
>> systems to keep the plane stable, the auto-pilot etc.
>
> Again, all that was done before people even invented computers.

And they were noisy and inefficient, today they are far more complex.  A bit 
like comparing a car engine from today with one from 50 years ago. 
Completely different and orders of magnitudes more complex today, but in 
return you get a much quieter, cleaner and efficient engine.

>> I guess there's a reason why you can design a new phone from drawing 
>> board to mass production in 18 months, but a plane takes nearer 10 years.
>
> People don't design phones from scratch.

Nor planes, but the typical timescale from concept to MP is a pretty good 
indicator of how complex the product is.

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