A Stupid Trend - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: olsenn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 06:16:37 pm
content: Has anyone else noticed that electronics design has shifted away from making devices that are perfect for one specific task in favour of creating devices that can do darned near everything, and not a single thing well?I'm tired of seeing devices like calculators and multimeters coming out with HD autostereoscopic 3D OLED colour touch screens, a 3-axis accelerometer, a digital camera, Wi-Fi, 3G, Blutooth, and a rechargable lithium-ion battery that lasts only 3 hours on a full charge. I only need one digital camera and that is a dedicated digital camera; I only need one multimeter and it doesn't need interchangeable faceplates or an OLED screen; I want my calculator to last hundreds of hours on AAA batteries and I don't need ten devices in my pocket that have web browsers built in.I love my Fluke 87-V because it does few things well and not many things poorly; I like my Amazon Kindle 3 because I don't have to recharge it often and it's easy on the eyes to read -- Sure an Ipad is more versatile but it isn't nearly as good for this task. Meanwhile everything from my new Playstation Vita to my cell phone to my tablet has an overlapping set of features. I buy these things for their primary marketted use, but end up paying for this other crap... that money could have been spent replacing a platic screen cover with glass, or just plain allowed the device to end up in my hands for less money.Lastly there's the issue with battery life; if you're designing a device that runs on batteries (and it's portable) then battery life should be high on the priority list. I don't care how much I love that bright and large OLED screen on my new PS Vita, I'm bringing my black and white gameboy with me on the bus to work from now on because that thing doesn't last two hours before dying.

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 08:46:48 pm
content: Yeah....it's pretty much too late to turn things around though. People have already become accustomed to everything having all of the aforementioned "features". Even TVs have WiFi and internet now. I mean it's interesting but now any TV without it suddenly becomes obsolete and do we really need that stuff.Stupid.Modern society is dumb.

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 09:56:00 pm
content: Quote from: FenderBender on March 01, 2012, 08:46:48 pmIt does make it easier to watch Daves blogs - beats sitting in my office chair to watch it on a small monitor.Neil

author: hugos31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 10:00:21 pm
content: starts to happen the same in my country (3 world Peru). a consumer society (use and throw)

author: Adrien
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 10:22:47 pm
content: Totally agree,Everything today have a due date. we are supposed to be more environmental friendly, and yet we are seeing today that all appliances are designed to work for 5 years before being "obsolete".I think the world as it stands today is heading straight into the wall. We want to be green so we buy a Prius? that's stupid alright! People these days only believe whats on TV! If you look at the Prius case more closely we find that it is in worse than a normal car. If you want to be green take the Bus! Cellphone now are called "smartphones" designed to make us lazier. TVs, Tablets and the rest it all driven by marketing, not by technology as such.Don't get me started on that! It makes me angry...That's enough for now..

author: Shale
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 02:14:14 am
content: I think it depends on how things are multi-functioned wether they are stupid or not. I use the camera and calculator and note pad on my phone all the time. As for wireless internet on the TV, I think its an ok thing and can lead to some great things for the future, like rather than running a cable from your dvd player to the tv, it could lead to hooking it up wirelessly, and that has to start somewhere.I do agree, some things need to be what they are and nothing more. A meter needs to be a meter, and a calculator needs to be a calculator. I will say that I like the TI calculator series with the big screen, so I can see and double check what I type in. But it is a calculator and acts as one.I do whole heartedly agree with the battery life thing though. Battery life needs to be put near the top of the list.One last thing to add with gripes about electronics now it how bright the displays are. Don't get me wrong. I like a bright clear display, but my eyes are sensitive to light, and most things I have to dim way down so they don't blind me. Where my gripe comes in to play is that I normally can't dim the displays enough in low light conditions to keep them from hurting my eyes.

author: Adrien
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 02:24:09 am
content: QuoteThe TI 89 is best out there. I have had mine for more than 10 yers and it is still great, well buit and still looks good

author: Write_to_Smokegenerator
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 08:20:23 am
content: Quote from: Shale on March 02, 2012, 02:14:14 amWell thats the other side of multifunctionallity, if you have the needs for all these tools, f.e i use my phone as a MP3 player, to call or text someone, so i don't need one of these smart phones, i have my phone since 4 years but the battery and the buttons are dying so i have to change my phone...but i agree the things you can buy these days have all sort of functions that you will rarly use.cheers

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 08:47:23 am
content: suppose on the oppositr of the argument, rasberry pie could potentailly help flip the trend about, like arduino and the rest, hobbiests are thriving, but most never make a leap beyond a flashing light,however one could potentially make a DIY tablet, i personally would love to, to have physical serial, CAN and ICSP outputs on my device over X number of megapixel camera that looks crap compared to some older 3MP single purpose digital cameras,

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 10:19:37 am
content: Multi function tools are not per-se bad. E.g.http://www.victorinox.com/ch/content/?lang=en&orhttp://www.leatherman.com/When it comes to electronic to carry around the manufacturers just haven't find the right function, quality and cost mixture for an electronic multi-function tool. Things got a little bit better with the smartphones, because a lot of functions have been moved to the apps, and everyone is free to install whatever app is needed. The issue is still the hardware, which is fixed, ignoring plugins and the like.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 11:04:31 am
content: Quote from: BoredAtWork on March 02, 2012, 10:19:37 amUnless of course you mistakenly wished to use one as a tool.Those are nerd jewellery and typify the jack of all, master of none, complaint the OP has expressed.

author: DrGeoff
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 11:15:34 am
content: Quote from: FenderBender on March 01, 2012, 08:46:48 pmMore or less the point behind Reggie Perrin.

author: ciccio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 11:44:48 am
content: I take the example of cell phones:I changed my GSM operator and after this I discovered that the filed strength in my office and lab was too low, so I claimed that I wanted to return to the previous one.The new one, fearing a customer loss, sent me, for free, a new phone that operates in the 3 G band and works!! (3G signal comes from another antenna).The problems are:- the new phone (a Nokia E5) has a really tiny keyboard that makes me impossible to write a number without my reading glasses- it does a lot of things that I don't need, such as net browsing and e-mail reading.- I spent one evening to learn how to operate it, and I'll need other three or four days to complete the learning..- it tries every few hours to connect to the net for some totally un-useful (at least for me) operation (such as offering to tell me the weather in Rome).- I continue to refuse the data connection, but last bill reported a cost of 33 Euros + VAT for 42 data connections totaling the enormous amount of 2.559 kilo bits of data (I say kB, not MB or GB) in two months.-when I tried to load (through my Wi-Fi) some application that I though could be useful, they asked for money...Please, does someone have a working Nokia 3330 or 3340?Best regards

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 12:59:21 am
content: I rather have many low class useless multifunction devices than a sea of useless single function devices. We already have enough trash for landfill even though there are recycling facilities. Somethings are better packed in to one for example your smartphone but I agree certain tools is better to be left uncombined.I don't mind to have a 6 digit multimeter and an oscilloscope and a low noise variable power supply all combined in to one if it could replace the three items on my bench. But any breakdown means I am out of action.

author: ronwoch
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 02:48:13 am
content: Please allow me to respectfully disagree. I am a soldier by trade, I carry 80 lbs of body armor. (Arguably the BEST single-purpose tool I have EVER used!) On the flip side, however, it means I really don't have the room nor inclination to carry a full toolbelt with hammer, pliers, wire cutters, wire strippers, flat tip screwdriver, fine flat tip screw driver, phillips screw driver, weapon dissassembly tool, carbon scraper for cleaning various weapons (when needed, not in combat) bottle opener, can opener, file, pry-bar, etc. Yet I use a leatherman or gerber for all those tasks. So what if I go through one every six months? If I have access to proper tools, do I use them? ABSOLUTELY! Nothing beats the 'right tool for the right job.' However, that is not always an option. Very frequently in my job it is not. So such multi-tools have their place. Doesn't make them right for you, but that does not mean that someone else would give theirs up.Just my two cents.PS- yes, some electronic gadgets are rediculous- But I love my android phone too. It's not a phone, it's a pocket computer with phone and text apps. I also prefer a Kindle to any other device save real paper for reading, though. Lets face it, eINK is about as close to real paper as we can currently get. And worlds apart from any backlit screen. So there, yes, absolutely a single device easily beats the multifunction. Otherwise, the camera and vidcam on my phone are far better quality and easier to carry than a seperate phone, digi cam, etc. But there again, with the kindle, you are using a multi-function device, a gadget that stores a massive library worth of books, to replace seperate tools, i.e. - the hard copies of said books. So it is all relative.On my bench, I want discrete tools that do one thing better than anything else can. IE- the unix philosophy. In my pocket, I will trade convenience and portability for perfection, as often times a compromise is the ONLY way to have your cake and eat it too.Just my .02 cents worth, plus a heaping shovel of bs for free.Quote from: Uncle Vernon on March 02, 2012, 11:04:31 am

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 03:24:22 am
content: Quote from: ronwoch on March 03, 2012, 02:48:13 amOK you can have a 24hr disagreement pass. Provided you remain respectful for the duration.

author: ronwoch
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 03:45:02 am
content: Uncle V, I was raised to always respect my elders..... even when they are wrong!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 04:12:29 am
content: Quote from: ronwoch on March 03, 2012, 03:45:02 amYou may think they were wrong, but I'll bet your elders had fewer damaged slots on their Phillips head screws!They may call them Army Knives, but think for a moment how many times the Swiss went to war with them.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 04:19:08 am
content: Quote from: nukie on March 03, 2012, 12:59:21 amWhy?QuoteAnd multifunction fixes this how exactly? Any one function fails and the whole shebang goes in the bin to be repaced by another multifunction. How is that going to save the planet?QuoteTotally out of action as it happens.

author: ronwoch
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 04:32:58 am
content: Quote from: Uncle Vernon on March 03, 2012, 04:12:29 amI blame the damaged slots on cheap chinese pot metal screws, not at all on my use of the can-opener to undo them.Probably more often than the French have taken ANYTHING to war.

author: PetrosA
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2012, 04:45:01 am
content: Ronwoch and Uncle V, I think you're both right. The sad thing is that manufacturers are selling multifunction in various devices because they see that our society has become pseudo-militarized in a sense and multifunction provides a feeling of security to the pseudo warriors (consumers). There's a sense of do-or-die in the modern world that never existed before - leaving the house on a mission without my cell phone? too scary. Not able to get emails while on vacation in enemy territory? Help!How many people have multiple chargers in case their phone dies in the car, or at work, etc. Some people freak out about a dead phone battery like a soldier whose gun is jammed under enemy fire.It's all orchestrated and designed to lead us into new consumer territory. Are Wi-Fi TVs popular outside the US where we have commercial breaks every few minutes? I'll bet they aren't. Who would need to get online to check facebook during a commercial break if there aren't commercials during the movie?Crap. Now you got me started