The thing I learnt at about year three was "if there is a solution that does not require new software, use that" At the time it was early days for personal com

The thing I learnt at about year three was "if there is a solution that does not require new software, use that" At the time it was early days for personal computers (1991) and the doctors in our organisation were very resistant so the clinical booking system became a board with cards in it. These days people are much more used to computers, and have their own, but there is an underlying principal, closely related to KISS. Software will not eat the world. If it can be achieved without software it will likely (not certainly) cheaper and more reliable. An example? Controlling a machine. Hydraulic systems are well understood, very effective. Putting a computer into the system generally decreases reliability for very little benefit. And has crashed quite a few aeroplanes.