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Does anybody at all know what more than 2 buttons do on their microwave? I thought they were mostly there for decoration
by takno 10y ago
Does anybody at all know what more than 2 buttons do on their microwave? I thought they were mostly there for decoration
- todd8 10y agoThe real problem is there is no ISO Standard for the appliance interfaces. Do you press power level first? Or time first. Is it Forth like, numbers then operation or Haskell like, Function then number. My refrigerator has illuminated bars indicating how cold it is set for. Even after downloading a pdf of the user guide I can't figure out if I'm setting it correctly. Placing a thermometer inside and using trial and error solved the problem (after a few frozen bags of spinach).
- nsxwolf 10y agoAnd why does every single key press have to beep??
- TeMPOraL 10y agoSo that you know it worked. Even without looking at the small display that also usually changes in response. This is what I miss about older technology - especially dumbphones. The input always worked, and always worked with the same timing. I could operate my Sony Ericsson K800i without looking at the screen because my brain memorized the sequences of buttons and timings of common operations. Joystick press, up, up, press, down, press, wait about a second, press, done. Compare with Android phones which routinely ignore or misinterpret input ("that was a swipe, not a press!"), and hang at unpredictable moments for unpredictable amount of time (usually also ignoring input while hung).
- nsxwolf 10y agoBut I can't microwave something late at night without waking the whole house up!
- copperx 10y agoInput lag is the mortal sin of UI design, and it's ignored everywhere except on dedicated appliances (touch phone, microwave, fridge). Instant response is not a given. I wish OS designers treated the user as a real-time system with hard deadlines.
- mwcampbell 10y agoOne benefit, though not necessarily intended by the manufacturers, is that blind users get some kind of feedback for each keypress, since there's usually no tactile feedback on a microwave.
- bemmu 10y agoI once spent half an hour reading the microwave manual (in Japanese) looking for some hidden way to disable the beeps. If you hold down one of the keys for over 5 seconds it puts you in silent mode, also disabling the annoying melody when heating is finished.
- TeMPOraL 10y agoPersonally I think problems people have with appliances like microwave ovens are a combination of fear and intellectual laziness (aka. not expecting to have to figure out anything for themselves anymore). Probably the same thing as with computers in general[0]. Most of appliances provide functions expected from devices of their class and follow obvious patterns that you quickly internalize. I have a running bet with my friends that I can operate any electronic appliance without a manual. The hardest case I've ever had so far was setting the clock on a microwave that provided alternative functionality under "START" button when the oven doors were open. It took me a few minutes to crack that one. [0] - https://xkcd.com/627/ https://xkcd.com/627/
- david-given 10y agoMy microwave has two knobs. One for power, one for time. It turns on automatically when you turn the timer and turns off automatically (sounding a mechanical bell) when the timer hits zero. I believe the timer is clockwork.
- marssaxman 10y agoI used one of those microwaves once. Best interface ever, and so much simpler than the high-tech beepy button matrix! Do microwave manufacturers just not realize that they're making their products worse by complicating them? I don't get it.
- eru 10y agoKnobs are more expensive than buttons?
- david-given 10y agoActually, yes. Anything with a moving part is painfully expensive, which is why cheap monitors try to reduce the number of buttons or use capacitative touch-sensitive controls. Touch-sensitive membrane buttons like the ones the use on the front of microwaves are much cheaper than mechanical timers.
- evincarofautumn 10y agoMy family had a microwave like that for ages, and I loved it. I think it was over 20 years old by the time they got a new one, because it was so rugged and easy to use.
- eru 10y agoAnd if you want something fancier, add just one more knob for grill-power.
- majewsky 10y agoI have one like these, and it's amazing. They should have stopped designing new shit after these. :)
- glaberficken 10y agoTrue! And what about office printers? =) The 2 machine types I dislike interacting with the most.