Comments on: Knobs > Digital, part 2

By: Phil Steinmeyer

Phil Steinmeyer — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:53:24 +0000

If it was up to me, I probably would have. But my wife is the main cook in the family, and a bit more partial to gadgetry than I am. Plus, I think most/all of the flat top electric stoves (easy to clean) use similar control schemes now. I would have probably gone for gas (with knobs) myself. Ah well - marriage is all about compromise…

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:54:01 +0000

Not wanting to sound like a smart arse bastard, but if the cooker is presenting so many problems, why didn’t you get one with knobs instead?

By: ac

ac — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:53:13 +0000

I also totally fail to understand the need for so many controls in a car. I can perfectly control GTA, Need for Speed and dozen other car games with just the classic up/forward,down/backwards/brake,left,right arrows..

One might say that backwards and braking are different functions. I however fail to see how can you go forwards and backwards at the same time, atleast with a regular car. Not to mention pixel perfect landing of fighter jets and helicopters in Battlefield with just 8 keys.

But since I am kind of divided personality, I’ll also counter myself by noting that some controls take more time to master than others and there are also questions of precision, response etc.

For some ultimate control thrills, download the Air Crash Investigations serie. I guarantee more thrills than in the 24 serie, for example in the instance when the pilot loses all controls … Well I don’t want to spoil what happens then - depends on the episode your watching

By: Phil Steinmeyer

Phil Steinmeyer — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:00:59 +0000

But the car designer probably thought it looked cooler with only 5 positions instead of the 6 it really needed…

By: StGabe

StGabe — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 22:49:20 +0000

In all fairness, both knobs or digital can be poorly designed.

The “knob” that is the shifter for my automatic transmission in my new Toyota Yaris was designed very poorly IMO. It follows a winding route from P to L with the following labels arranged vertically between: R, N, 3-D, 2, L. Which one is drive you ask? It has to be 3-D, right? Well it turns out that, even though the whole thing is setup vertically there are two different settings in one slot, 3 and D, accessed by moving the knob horizontally, and of course I was using the wrong one which meant that the transmission wasn’t using the 4th gear.

By: Stu

Stu — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 04:31:38 +0000

Whatever “Cook and Hold” is I’ve done my whole life without it.

By: Phil Steinmeyer

Phil Steinmeyer — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 12:47:41 +0000

That’s a great book.

Clearly, the designers at Apple are familiar with these concepts. Most other hardware and software companies prefer the 11 button approach to one knob. (OK, the iPod has 1 button plus 1 knob that also functions as 4 discrete buttons, IIRC…)

By: Christer Ericson

Christer Ericson — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 06:01:36 +0000

It seems most people/companies rarely stop to contemplate the usability of their products. The classic reference on stupid designs and how they can be improved is Don Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465067107/

Anyone that is involved in creating an end-user product (whether a knob on a toaster oven or a program UI) should be forced to read (and understand) Norman’s book.