| ??? 04/06/09 11:16 Read: times |
#164391 - Engineering is always about compromise Responding to: ???'s previous message |
Erik Malund said:
is the purpose of a design really to pick "the best" ?
Since cost always matter is the correct choice not "good enough"? Yes - it is usually Cost which constrains the other attributes! Usually, getting the "best" of any one particular attribute also means paying the most for it - so "good enough" is the result of applying the cost constraint. Similarly, getting the "best" of any one particular attribute also brings other "costs" in terms of complexity, power, etc. That is why I always say there is no such thing as "best" (or even "better") in isolation - "best" (and "better") can only ever be judged in the light of specific criteria. What is used for a spaceship (here probably the choice will be "the best") will, while still being the best, not be the right choice for a washing machine controller. The requirements (particularly, cost!) are very different in the two cases - hence what constitutes "best" in each case will also be very different. Again: there is no such thing as "best" (or even "better") in isolation - you can only say that it more or less closely matches all of the requirements & constraints. |
