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This is why an increasing number of consumers go with the more is less when shopping for appliances. I don't need my fridge or washing machine to have all these
by m-p-3 7y ago
This is why an increasing number of consumers go with the more is less when shopping for appliances. I don't need my fridge or washing machine to have all these bells and whistles. I just need it to do its main job, and do it well with a minimum of components that can fail, and make sure it's running reliably.
- blihp 7y agoI think you meant 'less is more'?
- Strang 7y agoI think "more is less" is more accurate. These days, my list of antifeatures is more of a consideration than desired features when shopping for an appliance. My TV has a terrible display but doesn't know how to connect to the internet, for example.
- lostlogin 7y agoI’m sure you’re aware, but you can achieve the same by getting a tv that is full of spyware but has a nice screen, then not connecting it to the internet or blocking it at firewall/Pihole or similar.
- hermitdev 7y agoI did this with my 4k "Smart" TV. I've never connected it to the ethernet, nor have I configured the wifi. It acts as a dumb monitor and that's what I want.
- stjohnswarts 7y agoJust don't give the new TV's your network password and you'll be fine.
- stjohnswarts 7y agoJust don't give the new TV's your network password and you'll be fine, and you can enjoy the new screen types, resolution, technology.
- bisby 7y agoI thought "hey that's not right" for a second too. I've never heard "more is less"... but technically they're equivalent. Less is more, more is less. Less is better, more is worse.
- blihp 7y agoWhen you put it that way, yes I can see that the original phrasing is correct. Like you, I am used to the opposite phrasing.
- kgwxd 7y agoBusinesses use that principal when buying equipment, then use it to build stuff that violates it.
- behringer 7y agoThat's exactly why I tell people to buy commercial. Sure they're 2 or 3 times the price. They'll also last 20+ years and need simple maintenance and repairs.
- Wistar 7y agoMy brother and I once toyed with the idea to build a website that explored, compared and offered sources for commercial, or at least, higher-grade alternatives to consumer-level fixtures, valves, switches, HVAC and appliances. A site aimed at people who are doing remodels or building anew. Why not the marine-grade brass quarter-turn valve for the water mains or toilets? Or the much-superior commercial-grade sillcocks? Gas furnaces with electric/gas fan motors that continue to function in a power-outage? In the scheme of a remodel or new-construction adding the high-quality, durable options is a small expense and saves on very expensive repairs down the road where you have to pay $2,000 to replace an item that would only have cost a few dollars more to install one that will almost never need replacing. Alas, we never did anything with the idea.
- markkanof 7y agoThis is a fantastic idea. It's kind of the opposite or at least going in a tangential direction from something like Wirecutter. Instead of recommending the solution that will be merely adequate for the majority of people you would recommend the solution that would be the absolute best but may appeal to a smaller audience.
- JohnFen 7y agoI like this idea. You also hit on something that I think too many people don't think of when they're pricing stuff. People tend to look at the sticker price alone, not the total cost of ownership. I've found that often (but certainly not always), the more initially expensive but high-quality stuff will end up being cheaper in the long run.
- jetrink 7y agoMy newest appliance, a microwave, has a dial to set the time, a row of buttons to select the power level and a door handle. It's the best microwave I've ever owned. It was also the most expensive, but since it is intended for commercial kitchens, I expect it to last at least ten years.
- XnoiVeX 7y agoThe is the same argument used by people who buy SpeedQueen washer dryers. But the technology in them is woefully old and not to mention very inefficient in its use of electricity and water.
- Loughla 7y agoThe local mom and pop appliance shop stopped stocking SpeedQueen in the last five years and replaced it with Fisher and Paykel. Their baseline washer and dryer is where it's at. They have the simplicity of SpeedQueen in terms of how cheap/easy they are to repair and replace components, but are super high efficiency.
- bittercynic 7y agoThey use(d to use) more energy and water, but maybe they get the laundry cleaner or get it done faster. A washer repair tech on reddit said that after 2017 SpeedQueen went the same direction as all the others, but if you get an older one it might be a better machine, depending on the model.
- secabeen 7y agoThey brought back the classic model for 2019, it's called the TC5: https://speedqueen.com/products/home-products/top-load-washers/tc5/ https://speedqueen.com/products/home-products/top-load-washe...
- JohnFen 7y agoI can see the efficiency argument, but arguing that the technology is old seems odd to me. What does it matter how old the technology is if it works?