NON-intelligent design

**3daudioinc** · 09-08-2010, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

What would normal people do?

I fixed two vacuum cleaners for friends and family this weekend. One (an Oreck from my ex-mother-in-law) would have cost $50 at the shop to clear out a clog in the body. The other was a problem with a switch. I'm sure another $50. Fixed them both in less than an hour.

I don't know how non-handy people can afford to live.

**Wireline** · 09-08-2010, 06:31 PM

Special tools, one of a kind calibration tools, magnifying lenses, exorbitantly priced parts, etc, should not be needed to repair a $45 digital device, either...

**QNote** · 09-08-2010, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

...The stupidity of the problems they encounter is staggering. Why does one have to be an experienced techie type just to use a computer? Computers should work as reliably as any other appliance.--Ethan

In some ways, I disagree. There are far too many [stupid] people that have electronics they shouldn't have, whether that be a computer, a Portastudio, or a PT setup.

**Todd Robbins** · 09-08-2010, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by 3daudioinc

I fixed two vacuum cleaners for friends and family this weekend. One (an Oreck from my ex-mother-in-law) would have cost $50 at the shop to clear out a clog in the body. The other was a problem with a switch. I'm sure another $50. Fixed them both in less than an hour.

I don't know how non-handy people can afford to live.

My neighbor spends over $100 per oil change on his Mercedes. I change mine in 12 to 15 minutes and it costs me $21 for the filter and the oil.

In terms of bad design, I once did a record with a producer who insisted upon using his PARIS rig. You could not "punch on the fly". You had to program your in/out points on a playback, and then put the system in "autopunch" and let it do the punch in/out on another playback pass. If the player did not like his punch, you had to re-program the in/out on yet another playback and then do the punch again in "autopunch" on what was now a 4th playback to make 2 attempts at the punch. It was ridiculous. I called their tech support and the guy on the phone saw no reason why this would be a hassle, and claimed anyone punching on a 2" deck would do the exact same thing to avoid permanently erasing something due to a bad punch. We last a half-day on PARIS before we were in ProTools...

Lynn, your "soft" phone settings would be like having to dial in all your plug-in setting every time you re-open a session!

**3daudioinc** · 09-08-2010, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Todd Robbins

Lynn, your "soft" phone settings would be like having to dial in all your plug-in setting every time you re-open a session!

Imagine a car with a default driver's position and the seat went back to that setting every time you turned the engine off.

Imagine a cell phone with no recollection of any of the numbers you routinely use or the last one you called.

Imagine having to reset your incoming and outgoing email protocols every time you turned on your computer, along with appearance prefs, font and text size prefs.

Imagine having to remember and type in URL strings every time you wanted to go to a web site.

It's just hard to imagine any rationale for not including a way to keep the presets on a digital camera when it is turned off.
Oh, I CAN think of one reason. YOU NEVER WANT ANYONE TO BUY ONE OF YOUR CAMERAS EVER AGAIN.

**D Sears** · 09-08-2010, 08:04 PM

My mother had a car (Ford, I think) and the little map pocket on the door was positioned so you would hit your knuckles every time you rolled up the window.

The old Apple 8500 and 9500 Macs were built so you had to take the motherboard completely loose from the case to add memory.

**Lee Blaske** · 09-09-2010, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by 3daudioinc

OK, let's blow off some steam. Ever run across a product that makes you want to cuss? I mean something with features only an ape could design? I mean something that makes you want to dope-slap the company for making it?

Windows

**Tim Farrant** · 09-09-2010, 08:25 AM

On a similar note, what happened to actually fixing things when they break down? Our washing machine stopped pumping out water. We called the service guy who charged us $65 to tell us we needed a new control board. So I took the thing apart and discovered that some detergent had found it's way onto the pcb and corroded the very fine copper tracks. I fixed that and away it went for another 8 months. Then it stopped altogether, would not respond. New service tech (only $63 this time) told us we need a new control board. So I took it apart again and discovered the lid switch (which halts the machine when you open the lid) was faulty, so I bypassed that (no need for it - I like watching it spin) and off it went again for another 12 months. Sadly, my partner washed a pillow in it and all the fluff came out and wrapped itself around the pump motor which unfortunately stressed the electronics - and THEN we needed a new control board.

**PookyNR** · 09-09-2010, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Lee Blaske

Windows

BAM!

**plughead** · 09-09-2010, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Todd Robbins

My neighbor spends over $100 per oil change on his Mercedes. I change mine in 12 to 15 minutes and it costs me $21 for the filter and the oil.

I'm the antithisis to 'handy', but - I used to change my oil & filter on all my cars till I moved south. Why? It will VOID our 5 yr/bumper to bumper warranty on our new car! But the main reason is - I can't dispose of the oil & filter to a car shop/recycling centre anymore. Not only have they made vehicles impossible to work on, you cannot find a place that will take your old oil (at least without a significant tipping fee IF you can find a place)...

I'm really curious - where can/do you take your oil/filter to, Todd?