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Soft buttons and software-mediated knobs replacing real buttons and real knobs that actually do things. Best microwave I've ever used was made in, I think, the

Soft buttons and software-mediated knobs replacing real buttons and real knobs that actually do things. Best microwave I've ever used was made in, I think, the late 70s. Didn't even have a turntable, and worked just fine without it, somehow. No clock at all. The "UI" was two heavy-feeling knobs, one for power and one for time. Turn the time knob, and it starts cooking at your selected power until the time runs down, with the knob itself tick-tocking down to zero and setting off a physical(!) buzzer. Want to add more time? Turn the knob while it's still running, no problem. Realize you added too much time? Ditto, but in reverse. Exactly as you'd expect. Simply pull the door open, no button for that, even. Intuitive, simple, felt great to use, and did 100% of what I want out of a microwave. Basically anything that used to have real buttons and knobs that have been replaced by shitty-feeling rubber-covered buttons and knobs that merely communicate suggestions, hooked up to an embedded computer, has a worse UI than what it replaced. And don't get me started on touch-sensitive buttons. At least touch screens have some excuse, some purpose. Dedicated touch-sensitive buttons are like some kind of practical joke, and have been central to several of my worst experiences with products.

tmaly 4y ago
I remember my grandmother having one of those. The name of it was radar range. Had a pretty heavy hum when you ran it.
28304283409234 4y ago
This, in cars.
Turing_Machine 4y ago
> Didn't even have a turntable, and worked just fine without it, somehow. It probably had a microwave "stirrer" -- basically just a rotating metal-bladed fan that the microwaves bounce off and get reflected to all parts of the oven cavity. I believe large commercial microwaves may still use these. Residential models tend to use turntables because they're somewhat more compact.
- nextweek2 4y ago
  Few years ago I brought a "fancy" microwave oven because it didn't have a turn table. I figured the lack of moving parts would add to its longevity. I didn't realise it was old technology being remarketed.
hiyer 4y ago
I agree with this. My new washing machine has full-touch controls. It's great otherwise (includes full drying!), but it's way too easy to change the settings when it's running or turn it off when you're walking past it and accidentally bump against it. Luckily I've found a workaround - I turn on the child lock once I've set up the wash program, so these accidental touches are ignored.
majewsky 4y ago
I have one of these microwaves as well (albeit with a turntable) and it's one of my most beloved pieces of technology. The only thing is that it's 20+ years old and I'm dreading the day that it breaks and I won't be able to replace it with a model that has a non-terrible UI.

tmaly 4y ago

I remember my grandmother having one of those. The name of it was radar range. Had a pretty heavy hum when you ran it.

28304283409234 4y ago

This, in cars.

Turing_Machine 4y ago

> Didn't even have a turntable, and worked just fine without it, somehow. It probably had a microwave "stirrer" -- basically just a rotating metal-bladed fan that the microwaves bounce off and get reflected to all parts of the oven cavity. I believe large commercial microwaves may still use these. Residential models tend to use turntables because they're somewhat more compact.

nextweek2 4y ago
Few years ago I brought a "fancy" microwave oven because it didn't have a turn table. I figured the lack of moving parts would add to its longevity. I didn't realise it was old technology being remarketed.

hiyer 4y ago

I agree with this. My new washing machine has full-touch controls. It's great otherwise (includes full drying!), but it's way too easy to change the settings when it's running or turn it off when you're walking past it and accidentally bump against it. Luckily I've found a workaround - I turn on the child lock once I've set up the wash program, so these accidental touches are ignored.

majewsky 4y ago

I have one of these microwaves as well (albeit with a turntable) and it's one of my most beloved pieces of technology. The only thing is that it's 20+ years old and I'm dreading the day that it breaks and I won't be able to replace it with a model that has a non-terrible UI.