The first disposables.
Unfortunately, with the first 30 years of GE Front-Loaders, the designs of the control panels were always more sophisticated than the innards. And it pains me to say that because of their heritage and what could have been.
I think this was a conscious decision on the part of the company to corner the mass-construction market. They were very light in weight and inexpensive. They were everywhere. Very easy for a landlord to install and then remove and dispose.