crazyjim Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 I got a cell phone because it seemed to be a good idea to have communications when I'm out on the Harley. No texting or fancy stuff - just a cell phone. Whatever computer I have is usually Marcia's hand me down, but she wants to get a Mac. I used to be fairly good with MS-DOS but that disappeared. I used to like to have the latest electronic gadgets, but since retiring I'm more interested in building static models.
Dr. Cranky Posted January 12, 2012 Author Posted January 12, 2012 Jim, next time I'm down in your area on my bike, I will let you know. I usually go to Daytona Bike Week and October Fest and then ride around Leesburgh and a few other places.
Draggon Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) I consider myself very challenged, so much of this stuff eludes me. When I bought my latest computer it didn't have a manual nor discs. I called the company and they said to get it online. Well, I coudn't get online! One of my first realizations of how stone age I was came when I was trying to restore something on my computer. No matter how much I tried i couldnt do it. Later a friend asked me if I tried to "un-delete it". Sheesh, who in the world made up that name? Un-delete, thats about as stupid as "de-fraggler" the super-spiff version of "defrag" If defrag organizes your files why didnt they name it "organizer"? I can barely figure out how to work my cell phone! Edited January 12, 2012 by Draggon
Junkman Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) I think I know the answer: It's the techies vs. the rest of us. The people who dream up and make all these gadgets are very tech-oriented, and they don't think the way the typical consumer does. They tend to assume that the typical Joe Sixpack in Sheboygen will understand their techno-jargon instruction manuals. Too many times the instructions are written by techies for techies. That is so true. Our daily lives are run by some 30-something certified nerds that still live with their mothers and have never done anything but computers. You can see this with the menus at ATM machines, the credit card thingies at cash registers, mobile phones, car infotainment systems (BMW iDrive anyone?), VCRs, DVD players, those stupid electric maps, and of course all kinds of software for PCs. Even bloody washmachines, for crying out loud. One of their primary goal seems to be to miniaturize everything to a size, that even a car modeller can't operate it anymore. Not sure how this is in the States nowadays, but here in England, they rolled out a new generation of bank card readers in shops and made the displays so small, that I now have to get out my reading glasses when I want to pay. I also noticed, that they make the numerals on the instruments of new cars smaller with each new model. I don't need glasses for driving, but in new cars, I need them to read the speedo. Another thing is that many things are just ill-designed for no reason whatsoever, apart from people who came up with it must be just braindead, or not have any real life experience. For example, my wife bought a new telephone for our landline. It's a docking station with two wireless handsets. She asked me what to look for and the only thing I told her was to make sure that the buttons are big enough that an adult human being can still press them without having to use watchmaker tools. The ones she bought have big enough buttons, all right. But the numerals are dark grey on black buttons. So if I want to dial a number, and there is so much as the slightest line-of-sight obstruction, like for example being in the house and not out in the garden in bright English sunshine, I have to switch on the lights, dial the number, and then switch off the lights again. Speaking of newer cars, even the dashboards are aerodynamic now. They often have something for putting small stuff moulded into the upper pad on the passenger side. These placement areas are carefully designed to only work when the car is 100% stationary. Should the car be ever so slightly in motion, the stuff falls on the floor. OK, that's all not really technology, but I see analogies. Everything is callow and half-baked and corners are cut just to bring it to the market, or the people who made it were inept to think things through. When I bought my latest computer it didn't have a manual nor discs. I called the company and they said to get it online. Well, I coudn't get online! Yeah, if you can't connect to the internet, please visit www.something.com for assistance. Edited January 12, 2012 by Junkman
Jon Cole Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 As stated, these techs for all their knowledge, seem to lack basic common sense, Be it cars or computers (is there a difference?) they actually need to depend on focus groups and private screenings. Here is something that I found today. I think it is relevant:
Rob Hall Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Well, I'm definitely in the techie camp. And I don't fit Junkman's stereotype. Honestly, I really don't care what the non-technical general public think.
Junkman Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 I would think you would be old enough by now to know where the buttons are. the same 12 buttons have been on phones in the same configuration for quite some time. Unless you just upgraded from a rotary phone. I have never read a better justification for making something absolutely bloody useless. Next thing is selling phones with blank buttons? Too bad most of them are multi- function. Have you ever been hit in the face by a cell phone or camera going 30 mph? there are reasons, most of which should be common sense, that things are designed the way they are now - it's because you need to be protected from your dumb self. That's exactly what I need. Some dimwits protecting me. Common sense would dictate to design storage areas in cars so they are safe, not useless.
Junkman Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Honestly, I really don't care what the non-technical general public think. None of the techies seem to. That's clearly reflected in the products they come up with.
Junkman Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 The top of the dashboard is not a storage area. That's why they aren't on top of the dashboard.
SuperStockAndy Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 The top of the dashboard is not a storage area. The top of the dash is the exclusive storage area for me...
Rob Hall Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 I certaintly wouldn't try and store anything on top of the dash..that's what the arm rest compartment, glovebox, console cubbies, door panel pockets, etc are for....
Harry P. Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Those areas on top of some dashboards with the molded-in "trays" do seem pretty stupid. Obviously they're meant to hold stuff, yet just as obviously anything you actually put there will go flying in a moving car. So what's the point of putting those things there in the first place? You don't even have a license. Yeah... how does a 13-year old get to drive?
Rob Hall Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Those areas on top of some dashboards with the molded-in "trays" do seem pretty stupid. Obviously they're meant to hold stuff, yet just as obviously anything you actually put there will go flying in a moving car. So what's the point of putting those things there in the first place? My Jeep is like that...has shallow indents in the center and above the passenger side..not really deep enough to put a map or anything...
38 Crush Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 For me, When I put my cell phone up to my ear it eraces my brain!!! Carnut
sjordan2 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 One theme that seems to be repeated here is about manufacturers and service providers who are on a technological curve that's way ahead of their audience. One very simple thing that irritates me is the tiny size of the scoreboards in the corners of the pictures on TV sports events - in many cases, especially football, the score graphics are so tiny I can't tell which graphic stands for which team and what the numbers are. This may be because I'm not one of the 25% of viewers with a flat-screen TV that's 40" or larger. All I've got is an older 27" TV. And many networks bleed the widescreen HD image off both sides of my picture (losing about 25% of the transmitted image), unlike others who are smart enough to letterbox the image.
SuperStockAndy Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 You don't even have a license. Oh, didn't know I wasn't allowed to be a passenger.
SuperStockAndy Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Fixed it for you.... Funny. The legal age here in IN is 13, so there ya go.
Harry P. Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 And many networks bleed the widescreen HD image off both sides of my picture (losing about 25% of the transmitted image), unlike others who are smart enough to letterbox the image. That bugs me too. I have an older TV with the "old" aspect ratio. It's a bigscreen, works perfectly and I have no reason to get rid of it. But it's annoying when I'm watching a show that's being transmitted in the new picture format and a bunch of the image is cut off left and right. I notice it mostly when watching a documentary... when they have a person on screen making a comment, and their name (usually on the side of the face) is almost completely cut off by my Flintstones-era TV.
Rob Hall Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Funny. The legal age here in IN is 13, so there ya go. Legal age for what? A driver's license at 13???
SuperStockAndy Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) So - you've not been 'up front' long enough to know that anything that isn't attached or otherwise stowed properly can become a lethal projectile in an accident. I'll give you that. I didn't know sunglasses were a lethal projectile! Legal age for what? A driver's license at 13??? Sitting in the front seat as a passenger. Edited January 12, 2012 by SuperStockAndy
SuperStockAndy Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) When you stop (say after going off-road your car careens into a tree) and those sunglasses don't - let me know how they feel when they enter your sinus cavity through your eye socket @ 40 mph, m-kay? Sure, I'll get right on that. Edited January 12, 2012 by SuperStockAndy
Harry P. Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Legal age for what? A driver's license at 13??? The legal age for a license isn't 13 anywhere...
Rob Hall Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 The legal age for a license isn't 13 anywhere... Yeah, that's why his comment perplexed me...hadn't heard about a law regarding front seat passengers..
Junkman Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 So - you've not been 'up front' long enough to know that anything that isn't attached or otherwise stowed properly can become a lethal projectile in an accident. I'll give you that. Yeah, even a pack of cigarettes. Gives a whole new meaning to 'smoking kills'.
Jon Cole Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 One theme that seems to be repeated here is about manufacturers and service providers who are on a technological curve that's way ahead of their audience. One very simple thing that irritates me is the tiny size of the scoreboards in the corners of the pictures on TV sports events - in many cases, especially football, the score graphics are so tiny I can't tell which graphic stands for which team and what the numbers are. This may be because I'm not one of the 25% of viewers with a flat-screen TV that's 40" or larger. All I've got is an older 27" TV. And many networks bleed the widescreen HD image off both sides of my picture (losing about 25% of the transmitted image), unlike others who are smart enough to letterbox the image. I agree, Skip. Hard to read any info even in HD, depending on the broadcast network. We purchased an HDTV only a year ago after our antique box started to blink out. First thing I noticed is the credits at the end of a movie. On the old set, the small white text on the black background was illegible, yet on HDTV I can see it fine. I wonder if your old TV affects your football game?
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