It all comes down to the cost. Software can be rewritten and then can be patched with the new functinoality. In hardware, typically, your customer is another

It all comes down to the cost. Software can be rewritten and then can be patched with the new functinoality. In hardware, typically, your customer is another group, department, company. And there is usually only one person to represent the go-between. Hardware design is conservative because that one person is responsible for interfacing a project which simply cannot afford to be done incorrectly. so low bandwidth, and high cost. Leads to unbridled conservatism.