Digital Home Thoughts: Do We Want Gadgets With Character?

"I feel like a castaway in a sea of glossy black plastic, chrome, and glowing blue buttons. Do we really need every piece of electronics to look the same, sandwiched in this shiny ebony that is the 21st Century beige? I go to buy a TV and my head spins out of boredom, making me sick. What... happened to industrial design? Most products have no character or soul. Some people argue that, to recover their character, we need to get electronics back into furniture."

Jesus Diaz, at Gizmodo.com, has written an interesting column bemoaning the lack of "character" in the design of most modern electronic devices, particularly those in the low-to-moderate price range. His column is sprinkled with fascinating photographs and links to other sites, as well as speculation as to the possible causes behind what he clearly sees as a march toward boredom. The above photo shows an older Marantz receiver, (Model 2285B, circa 1979: One of these powered my main stereo system until early 2010.) resplendent it its Walnut Veneer Cabinet and "gold anodized" brushed-silver front panel - as contrasted with a current model Insignia receiver (NS-R2001) from Best Buy, with the black face and digital display that seems to typify the author's complaints. In your opinion, do the exterior designs of today's electronics lack character? Should we return to silver face plates and wood (veneer) cabinets?