This is the point. Detail and nuance and texture and a sense of how users actually feel, what makes them smile, what makes the experience worthy and positive and sensual instead of necessary and drab and evil.
These are the things that are nearly dead in our mass-consumer culture, things normally reserved for elitist niche markets and swanky boutiques and upscale yuppie Euro spas and maybe cool insider mags like I-D and Metropolis and dwell. They are most definitely not to be expected of mass-market gadget makers. This is why it matters. This is why it’s important.
This is one aspect of a conversation I’ve had a few (?) times. When you consider that you’re going to spend a certain number of hours looking and and manipulating a tool, why shouldn’t it be pleasing and not just the cheapest damn thing you could get? People spend more time choosing a car that they spend an hour or two a day using, but the tools they use to make a living are what was on sale at Circuit City last weekend.
Is it wrong to care about your tools and to feel some sense of pleasure from using them?