But then those were the days when the world around us was so different.  Televisions and VCRs were not around but the availability of the basic amenities of life like electricity and water was more plentiful.   I am not saying that the general quality of life has not improved during the last 30 years. The miracles of science and technology in general and computers in particular have had a visible impact in improving our living conditions. What has gone unnoticed is the way in which this has changed the attitude of the modern practitioners  of engineering. Those were the days when engineers used to combine reasoning ability with an intimacy felt towards their design - a deep understanding of the behaviour of the various components - to the point where they could begin to personify their designs. I recall an incident in which a contemporary of mine while explaining the metastability of a flip flop circuit had the  following to say :"As is common knowledge, it's considered 'mean' to simultaneously assert Set and Reset as no self -respecting binary device can respond with dignity to a command to be both on and off at the same time." Today the interest seems to be more in what a packaged Computer Aided Design (CAD) software can do for us. For the most part, the concerns of yesteryears about Ohm's law & Kirchoff's law, of Thevenin's & Norton's theorems and of Maxwell's electromagnetic  equations have been understood and worked out by the very select few and either embedded in the CAD software or buried deep in the  functionality of an IC. Today's mainstream designers, whether they are designing a complex board level product or an ASIC, do not need to fuss with electronics. Databases, expert systems, routers, models, simulators and a lot of other abstruse concepts coalesce to eliminate  workbenches , soldering irons and above all those endearing bread boards. In the rush to design efficiently, we may eliminate time and sweat at the expense of excellence. This according to me is the road to intellectual bankruptcy. Maybe my acerbic musings are simply the cynicism coated fears of a bench hacker confronting the computer age. 
If the above has caused a feeling of gratification among the senior readers, I have not yet concluded what I wanted to say. Today, in the era of high speed multi-million transistor ICs, design engineers are constantly facing new challenges.  Among the most trying are the transmission line and electromagnetic compatibility effects in high speed digital circuits and megabytes of firmware for embedded systems. The first of these actually takes engineers back to fundamentals that are part of an engineer's education and this is something which I have emphasised so far. The second, however, takes engineers into newer and deeper waters. It is not without any reason that software design is gaining importance and in many cases eclipsing hardware design.  Therefore just as the new generation of engineers have to brush up their fundamentals, their predecessors must adapt with the changing environment. Their ignorance of modern tools and methods is more alarming than the lack of interest of the young engineer in the basics. It is only when this generation gap among the fraternity of electronic engineers can be bridged that we shall have a system that is totally satisfactory.

          Having dealt with the past and present, let me venture into making some predictions about the future designs. I believe that the machine to human interface will change significantly. As systems become more complex, this interface must be made more natural. When the operator does not know what he has to do, the designer of the future must help the operator to understand what is required. That is an extension of the 'context sensitive help' that is an integral part of most of the application software packages of today. The world of virtual reality will change almost all aspects of society. Sitting at home the consumer of the future will be able to visit any market or shopping complex of his choice and order the items to be delivered to his home. The technology of teleconferencing will allow the future citizen to confer with his colleagues from his workplace. Important telephone messages would get automatically recorded and displayed on his computer screen without disrupting his meeting. And the electronics engineer of the future will have  to play a leading role in making this happen without ignoring the fundamental principles involved.  

          I have attempted to portray the characteristics of an ideal engineer by highlighting the difference in the mindsets  of the two generations  of the engineers . I have also emphasized that these two view points should merge, each benefitting from the strength of the other. Now, I request your indulgence to end on a philosophical note by observing that notwithstanding these differences there is a certain element of timelessness about some of the wonderful things around us today that have been passed on to us by the ages . Predictably, these will remain unchanged. Therefore, tomorrow's engineers (just like the young and old of today) while returning home from a hard day's work will still witness the soft orange glow of the setting sun light up the windows of his city. The shout of the neighbourhood children playing in the fading light and the distant call of a cuckoo will help his spirits soar. And back at home his most delightful way of unwinding himself would still continue to be the loud recital of  his most favourite verses from Wordsworth or Shelley while taking his shower.