Well, youtube does manage to play the video instantly but having to wait 5+ seconds for recommended videos and comments to load is pretty awful and distracting once they load
That's not always a good thing, everytime I've tried a post-plasma KDE version I've always ended up spending too much time regularly tweaking the whole setup.
AGM batteries are packed with fiberglass, so when oxide starts building up on the plates because of improper charging or electrolyte drying up they start pushing on the case.
As someone who rebuilt a couple dozens PCs for a charity from dumpster parts, boards in plastic bags while wearing mostly synthetic clothes, I'd say you underestimate the ruggedness of those things.
Drivers and OS are much more likely to be the cause of quirks and weird behaviour.
It was mostly used in the common radio alarm clocks, the ones with a 4digit red 7 segment display that were all based on an IC from the 70s that handles everything (minus the radio which is a completely indipendent module).
Well, management accepting more orders without enough people/space to do the work can be a pain.