"Keep it simple! Less capability and more reliability please because when it fails I have ZERO capability. "
I couldnt agree more, in fact I often had discussions along these lines with F3 aircrew (both driver & ballast). I am sure they would have traded a fair bit of (supposed) capability for reliability on the earlier incarnations of blue circle.
The difficulty is getting someone to COMMIT to a reduced capability when the industry glossy sales brochure promises so much.