
Ask HN: What is the most complex commonplace consumer product? - chasingthewind
I was thinking today that many of the really commonplace consumer products we have today involve incredible amounts of complexity...smartphones, electric cars (even regular cars!), smart tvs, laptops, etc. All of these are built on really incredible technologies not to mention deep supply chains with tons of steps.<p>What do you think is the most complex consumer product that&#x27;s pretty commonplace today?
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jppope
Luxury hybrid-electric powered automobiles.

Even if you skip the mechanics of internal combustion, Luxury vehicles have
terrible user interfaces, tons of features (GPS, audio video systems, cameras,
auto pilot systems), and crazy complex supply chains required to produce. Not
to mention things like regulations for emissions and safety concerns.

In fact they can only get away with it because design cycles are ~5 years with
only minor cosmetic changes between those years (yep, your "new" vehicle
started in a manufacturing cycle 5 years ago with a design cycle 7-10 years
ago)

Add on the quackiest institutionalized distribution model (required
franchises)... and certainly it could be argued that automobiles as a whole
had to augment the entire physical landscape of the United States. I think its
pretty safe to say they win the complexity award.

