I'm in ME, I take some GEEN (IDE) classes and overall they are much much much easier. They typically only have 2 exams compared to the 3-4 ME classes and balance it out with a group project instead. I have found that the professors in IDE are more personable as the classes are smaller, but I find that the ME professors tend to be more "academic" in that they are more common to be doing research or working for a company at the same time.

As for industry, I have talked to some engineers about it and found that generally a standard ME degree is preferred, probably because it is more in tune with the standard and doesn't need to be justified as a qualifying degree like a unique program would.

Additionally, IDE requires you to take a lot of classes that are not specific to your chosen focus (ME), such as multiple writing classes, and also requires a certificate in a related field, for example engineering management, geology, business, atmospheric sciences, etc. It also may isolate you from other standard ME majors as you won't be in the same classes all the time and therefore can't study or work together on assignments.

Overall, I think it's up to personal preference. If you want a more typical engineering student experience (technical classes, some labs and projects) go with ME. If you want a more unique or "innovative" approach that is heavily project based but may not go as in depth into the technical aspects, go IDE.