zlacker

In the mid 90s, I worked with magneto-optical disk systems. The noises they made helped me (and others) diagnose their problems.

This type of "sixth sense" is also not limited to computers. When I worked in the aerospace industry, I heard a story about McDonnell Douglas replacing the F-15 cockpit fairing with a sleeker, fewer-piece version that reduced drag. Pilots found that without the noise from airflow over the metal joints, they didn't have as good a feel for speed and maneuvers.

>>bedige+(OP)
Cars too. I learned to drive stick on a Honda Civic without a tachometer, but I learned to do without and tell what state the engine was in purely by its noise and vibrations.

>>tomc19+w91
This was how I was taught to drive stick, though all the cars I learned in definitely had tachometers. Nobody even brought them up.

>>tomc19+w91
I have a 90s pickup, manual, no tach. I use it to plow snow on my steep, long driveway. It has "shift up" light, but it's always wrong. Without the windows open I have no idea when to shift.