Craig,
Don't back down. I know form personal interactions with pure software guys that understanding the limits of their platform is all that is needed to perform well. They don't need to know how it does it or how to design it, they need know only the limitations and abilities.
I happen to be capable of complex designs in both hardware and software and both require a great deal of discipline to apply correctly.

As I have read the responses, the comparison is no different then saying: Which is better the auto mechanic or the driver?

I truly believe I benefit in general from being educated in the sciences (EE) but wouldn't for a moment discount those educated in the area of algorithm design. A good coder can break down a problem into its finest parts and write a plan to solve it. He gets respect from me.

Allen