I love technology, but... [View all]

[MineralMan]

Sometimes, it is overcomplicated. That's really annoying at times, but many consumer goods today ignore the idea that simple needs do not need complex setup and operational controls. Things have too many features today, most of which are not needed by most people.

It's not that I'm incapable of operating even the most complex technology. I've been around it since before most of it was created. I've written technical and user manuals for much of today's tech stuff, and countless magazine articles to help consumers make the best use of computers, phones, peripherals and even tools.

The thing is that some devices do very simple things and should have simple controls for consumers.

For example, the other night, in the dark, I managed to press one of the 20 buttons on the top of my clock and radio. I long ago lost the owner's manual for it, and the labeling on those buttons offers no help in correcting whatever I did that scrambled the clock display. The owner's manual wasn't much help in the beginning, either, when I still had it. Simply setting the time on that clock and radio is a long, drawn-out process, involving a complicated session of button-pushing and cryptic menus that are not displayed on the device.

So, having scrambled the time with my clumsy fingers and being unable to figure out what process would let me undo what I had done in the dark while sleepy, I unplugged the device completely and put it in the box I use for recycling electronic devices.

I have another radio, a very simple one, which I put on the bedside table. I also have an old electric analog alarm clock that has been stored in a closet, but that is now back on the table beside my pillow. You set it by turning a knob on the back of the clock, until the hands show the correct time. I never used its alarm, since my smart phone is a far better alarm clock and more flexible.

If I did not have a simple electric analog clock, I see that Amazon sells them. If I did not have a simple radio, they are also available there for very low prices. I do not need a clock radio with 20 buttons on top, identified with cryptic labels. I do not need my clock to show me the date, nor do I need the 24-hour military time feature. I don't need to be able to set multiple alarms, either. I also don't need my bedside clock radio to tell me the temperature or provide a faulty weather statement. I do not care what the phase of the moon is, nor do I need anything to tell me it is the middle of the night. Nope. I just need to look at a clock in the middle of the night to see what time it is. If I am unable to get back to sleep, I sometimes turn on the radio, which is permanently tuned to the local public radio news station. In the middle of the night, the BBC programming it carries soon bores me back to sleep.

The clock and radio that is now in my recycling box was a gift from my wife. I dutifully put it on the table next to the bed because she had been thoughtful enough to give it to me. As far as she knows, it is broken now. Since it was a gift, I went through the setup process when I got it. However, changing back and forth to and from daylight savings time is too much bother, so I just remembered to add or subtract an hour from the displayed time. Changing the station on the radio, too, is a major hassle, since there are only buttons to do that, rather than a knob you can turn to select another station. So, it is permanently on one radio station.

Now that I have my old analog alarm clock and a simple AM/FM radio on that table, I believe I'll just stick to those and forego any unneeded technology to show me the time and let me listen to the BBC when I'm lying awake at 2 AM. I love technology, but not when it is both not needed and poorly designed for people to use.