Programming in 2009 isn't much different than R&D in 1898 it seems

The Australian Physicist, Sir Richard Threllfall (1861-1932) remarked in 1898 -

"Though, no doubt, a great deal can be done with inferior appliances where great economy of money and none of time is an object, the writer has long felt very strongly that English physical laboratory practice has gone too far in the direction of starving the workshop, and he does not wish, even indirectly, to give any countenance to such a mistaken policy. Physical research is too difficult in itself, and students' time is too valuable for it to be remunerative to work with insufficient appliances."

This could just as well have read like this today.

"Though, no doubt, a great deal can be done with inferior appliances where great economy of money and none of time is an object, the writer has long felt very strongly that programming practice has gone too far in the direction of starving the workshop, and he does not wish, even indirectly, to give any countenance to such a mistaken policy. Research and development is too difficult in itself, and engineers' time is too valuable for it to be remunerative to work with insufficient tools."