Warrranty
Warranty speaks volumes about confidence. Not much more to say about that.
There's one thing about this site that's different from S&F. There is no "supporting vendor" protection here ie., "Greg, check his IP for me." (no, that wasn't me, US1) That engineer was simply asking the tough questions; read "have you thought it out". We do that sometimes. Knowing that bad things about "supporting vendors" rarely surface on SF, I'm a bit uncomfortable with the "blind faith" required to purchase without a warranty (especially when that site is the biggest source of information/feedback available). I'm not bashing, it's just my gut.
About engineers.....people don't always understand what they are up against. When we design things, we want them perfect. Trust me, we do. BUT, there are ALWAYS compromises that must be made. When you work for a large American corporation, that compromise is almost always centered around cost. Mercury is no different. Again, not bashing, just stating facts.
Chris