2006 IBO Industrial Design Awards
On August 15, 2006, Instrument Business Outlook, the leading analytical newsletter, announced the winners of the annual IBO Design Awards for excellence in industrial design of analytical and life science instruments for the thirteenth consecutive year. It was noted that "the winners of the 2006 Awards exemplify how innovative industrial design can make a product aesthetically appealing and enhance the end-user’s experience." IBO selection criteria included "innovation, functionality, style, ergonomics and user friendliness"... which help to "define good instrument design" using "innovative forms and functions aesthetics."
IBO Gold Award
Thermo Electron's iCAP 6000 Series Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometer
IBO Silver Award
FEI Company's Titan 80-300 Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscope
IBO Bronze Award
Oxford Instrument's MQC Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer
Thru the annual Industrial Design Awards, IBO has sought "to recognize the committment on the part of instrument companies to making products that are visually appealing and execute the delicate balance of eye-catching design and functional enhancement." If you decide to buy from another vendor because of perceived innovation, functionality or distinctiveness, just remember that you will get what you pay for (and probably not even that!). Buyer BEWARE.
Remember: If you buy $hit.... then you will have $hit (from Shimadzu!)
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10/31/07