7 ms·

This is brilliant. A single device that does one thing, and does it (hopefully) really well. It is a much needed antidote to the "all in one" apps we are seeing

This is brilliant. A single device that does one thing, and does it (hopefully) really well. It is a much needed antidote to the "all in one" apps we are seeing more and more of. Touchscreens really embody the "all in one" design pattern, and lend themselves to those types of apps. That's after all what they're intended for: interchangeable interfaces. Nice to see a modern service being used with an analog interface.

chobytes 6y ago
Bothers me to no end how many once simple devices have gone this way. I feel like I would be willing to pay more for simpler appliances at this point.
- jdgoesmarching 6y ago
  Touchscreens and tiny computers are cheap and getting cheaper. It’s easier than manufacturing specific components for “simpler” devices. I just wish companies would stop pretending like it’s an advanced feature rather than a cost-cutting measure.
  - danlugo92 6y ago
    Reason I will never buy a Tesla. But everyone else is jumping into the touchscreen mania too sadly. A touchscreen in a car jeez.
    - davegauer 6y ago
      In my garage are a Tesla and a Subaru. They're both the first new cars I've ever owned and both are far more technologically advanced than anything I'd previously driven. So I'm a great guinea pig for testing modern car UIs. The great thing about the Tesla is that the important things: park/drive/reverse etc. are all motions on a physical stalk. The rest is done on the touchscreen which has the advantage of being able to have full-text labels and clear submenus for less often used options. It's much more discoverable. The other great thing is that the touchscreen interface has the opportunity to GET BETTER over time. The Subaru has more buttons and dials than any other machine I've ever owned. It's borderline aircraft cockpit. There is a physical control for darn near EVERYTHING. I love physical controls once you learn them, but figuring out the cryptic symbols for a button while driving is no safer than navigating a touchscreen. I think there's a sweet spot somewhere between the two: the Tesla has too few physical controls and the Subaru has too many (though that opinion may change over time as I learn them all). I also wonder about interface wear and tear tradeoffs as both vehicles get older. Don't forget that we also develop muscle memory for touch screens, which is why it takes a week to adjust when a popular phone app (or the whole OS) changes the position of an on-screen control.
      - efficax 5y ago
        i've driven dozens of cars in my life. only recently have i gotten a car with a touchscreen (a 2020 civic hatchback). The touchscreen is a completely insane device for use in a car. You have to look at the screen to use it. All my previous cars, you can adjust the climate controls, music, stereo etc, while keeping your eyes on the road. With this car? If I want to change the ac mode i have to hit climate and then, staring at the screen, touch the image of the button. On my last honda I knew I could run my fingers over until I hit the second/third button of that row and that was the one I wanted, all the while I had my eyes on the road. It's dangerous! It's absolutely terrible industrial design and it should be against the law.
  - Breza 6y ago
    My washer and dryer are as advanced as I want laundry equipment to be. Physical dials to choose settings and my phone dings when a cycle finishes. The next time I buy a washer (hopefully many years from now) I think it's going to have a complex touchscreen with all sorts of features that get in the way of the "Spin dial to x setting and press Go" UX that's insanely easy to use.
- donw 6y ago
  Oh, god, this. Specifically simple appliances that are designed to be repaired.
  - lupire 6y ago
    What's the benefit of having a dozen or more repairable appliances that use far more material and expense than an occasionally replaced all in one?
- JKCalhoun 6y ago
  My wife can't "operate" the TV. Of course, part of that is how I have it set up (connected to Mac mini, etc.).
everfraid 6y ago
This is why I really enjoy the Kindle I just bought. A single use: reading books.
- capableweb 6y ago
  Doesn't the Kindle have a browser too? If you'd like to pay mess and be able to do even less, you can try reMarkable.
  - calmoo 6y ago
    The kindle browser is so unusable that you wouldn't even be bothered with it.
  - spoonjim 6y ago
    Kindle browser is so shitty that nobody would use it.
  - donw 6y ago
    The Kindle browser is designed to encourage you to give up on the Web and read more books.
- Breza 6y ago
  I feel the same way. I love its simplicity. Especially now that I found the setting to make my library the default view instead of the library/store combo screen. I have a baby, and the one-simplicity of my Kindle means I can read a book while rocking her to sleep and rubbing her back.

chobytes 6y ago

Bothers me to no end how many once simple devices have gone this way. I feel like I would be willing to pay more for simpler appliances at this point.

jdgoesmarching 6y ago
Touchscreens and tiny computers are cheap and getting cheaper. It’s easier than manufacturing specific components for “simpler” devices. I just wish companies would stop pretending like it’s an advanced feature rather than a cost-cutting measure.
- danlugo92 6y ago
  Reason I will never buy a Tesla. But everyone else is jumping into the touchscreen mania too sadly. A touchscreen in a car jeez.
  - davegauer 6y ago
    In my garage are a Tesla and a Subaru. They're both the first new cars I've ever owned and both are far more technologically advanced than anything I'd previously driven. So I'm a great guinea pig for testing modern car UIs. The great thing about the Tesla is that the important things: park/drive/reverse etc. are all motions on a physical stalk. The rest is done on the touchscreen which has the advantage of being able to have full-text labels and clear submenus for less often used options. It's much more discoverable. The other great thing is that the touchscreen interface has the opportunity to GET BETTER over time. The Subaru has more buttons and dials than any other machine I've ever owned. It's borderline aircraft cockpit. There is a physical control for darn near EVERYTHING. I love physical controls once you learn them, but figuring out the cryptic symbols for a button while driving is no safer than navigating a touchscreen. I think there's a sweet spot somewhere between the two: the Tesla has too few physical controls and the Subaru has too many (though that opinion may change over time as I learn them all). I also wonder about interface wear and tear tradeoffs as both vehicles get older. Don't forget that we also develop muscle memory for touch screens, which is why it takes a week to adjust when a popular phone app (or the whole OS) changes the position of an on-screen control.
    - efficax 5y ago
      i've driven dozens of cars in my life. only recently have i gotten a car with a touchscreen (a 2020 civic hatchback). The touchscreen is a completely insane device for use in a car. You have to look at the screen to use it. All my previous cars, you can adjust the climate controls, music, stereo etc, while keeping your eyes on the road. With this car? If I want to change the ac mode i have to hit climate and then, staring at the screen, touch the image of the button. On my last honda I knew I could run my fingers over until I hit the second/third button of that row and that was the one I wanted, all the while I had my eyes on the road. It's dangerous! It's absolutely terrible industrial design and it should be against the law.
- Breza 6y ago
  My washer and dryer are as advanced as I want laundry equipment to be. Physical dials to choose settings and my phone dings when a cycle finishes. The next time I buy a washer (hopefully many years from now) I think it's going to have a complex touchscreen with all sorts of features that get in the way of the "Spin dial to x setting and press Go" UX that's insanely easy to use.
donw 6y ago
Oh, god, this. Specifically simple appliances that are designed to be repaired.
- lupire 6y ago
  What's the benefit of having a dozen or more repairable appliances that use far more material and expense than an occasionally replaced all in one?
JKCalhoun 6y ago
My wife can't "operate" the TV. Of course, part of that is how I have it set up (connected to Mac mini, etc.).

everfraid 6y ago

This is why I really enjoy the Kindle I just bought. A single use: reading books.

capableweb 6y ago
Doesn't the Kindle have a browser too? If you'd like to pay mess and be able to do even less, you can try reMarkable.
- calmoo 6y ago
  The kindle browser is so unusable that you wouldn't even be bothered with it.
- spoonjim 6y ago
  Kindle browser is so shitty that nobody would use it.
- donw 6y ago
  The Kindle browser is designed to encourage you to give up on the Web and read more books.
Breza 6y ago
I feel the same way. I love its simplicity. Especially now that I found the setting to make my library the default view instead of the library/store combo screen. I have a baby, and the one-simplicity of my Kindle means I can read a book while rocking her to sleep and rubbing her back.