Worse still, I keep coming across products that simply dont work, were released anyhow, and then the manufacturer throws up their hands and does nothing.
While recently researching digital cameras, I found a huge percentage of the models have reviews stating the same common engineering faults. I bought a "gateway connected dvd player", which is supposed to let you show your photos, mp3's and digital video on your tv over the network. Barely works for photos and music, and supports virtually no video formats...including DV-Video from a camera. In response, gateway support tells me they believe that they never made such a product, and that this must be a dvd player inside a computer. I think I might know the difference...
This plan of making something and shooting it into the market place despite broad well known flaws and then pretending theres no problem is disturbing.
Then there are the brands with a quality name that have slid. Mercedes used to be in the top 3 reliability wise. The last 5 years they've been in the bottom 3 of ALL car makers, not just the luxo brands. HP products are not what they once were.