This universe is based on division. That's why nobody can ever agree on anything. You'll notice for example that every time a new video medium format is developed (casette, DVD, HD...), the process is delayed for years by a power struggle between two different formats. And there's always different formats for everything when you cross the Atlantic.
I just ran into two other small examples. I wanted a PDF version of the manual for my Panasonic camera. (It was not included on the software CD, which is lame in itself.) Usually it's pretty quick to find by Google. But I couldn't find it, for several minutes. Then I stumbled over a comment on a site that the booklet is not called either "manual" or "guide", both of which I had tried, but "operating instructions". Sigh.
And when I plug in the battery charger and the battery starts to charge, there's a stable green light. Looking in the manual, sorry "instructions", I found out that this light turns off when the battery is charged. Other battery chargers have a red light which turns green when ready. (This I find more logical.) And yet other battery chargers (Canon) have a blinking green light, which blinks faster as the battery gets more charged, and stops blinking when the battery is full.
Is it any wonder we can be a little confused?
7 comments:
The battery charger for the new Pentax X70 camera (made in China) is also the kind that shows a light (a yellow one) while charging, but the light goes out when the battery has reached full charge.
As a result, I didn't notice that it was fully charged, and left it in the charger overnight. No harm done, because the charger does switch off after the process finishes, but it isn't the best possible arrangement. I wonder if it's a problem over the use of a certain system's rights?
Similarly, I have two electric razors, a Braun and a Phillips.
The Braun blinks while charging and is on steady at full charge.
The Phillips is the reverse, being
on steady during charging, but blinking after reaching full charge. Colour me confused...
I know that, too:
I had an electric razor, which
- blinked while charging and
- was on steady at full charge.
After some years this razor didn't work anymore, so I bought the same model from the same company, but its successor model (having nearly the same type number).
Now, this razor
- is being on steady during charging, and
- is blinking after reaching full charge.
Both have a certain consistence:
The first one from the machine point of view:
- by blinking the razor says: "I'm working ... I'm working ... I'm working ..."
- by being steady the razor says: "I have finished, nothing to do anymore for me."
The successor model towards the users point of view:
- by being steady the razor says: "Dear user, please relax and don't do anything with me."
- by blinking the razor says: "Dear user, please become aware that I've finished - now you should unplug me."
These are two "philosophies" in the design of man-machine communication: Machine oriented designers prefer the first one, while user oriented designers choose the second one ... with often contradicting results. Hopefully during technical evolution this will be harmonized resulting in a consent - strictly speaking, ergonomics should life make easier, not more complicated :-(
Anyway, it's sometimes really confusing, especially if you have at the same time two devices of the same kind with different or even contradicting behaviour ...
(captcha "debrias" ... debris? ;-)
You could have two lights, a red one with the word "charging" under it, and a green one with the word "ready" under it. Of course that depends on the users being able to read english.
Of course, there ARE simple and pretty unmistakable solutions ... as a designer I also would prefer them and check it in a usability investigation.
I doubt that there is ANY usability check.
Any possible? Or any done, usually? (I'm guessing you mean the latter.)
You are guessing right, maybe it was misunderstandable.
"Is it any wonder we can be a little confused?"
Confusius say:
"Man who run in front of car will get run over.
Man who run next to car will get tired.
Man who run behind car will get exhausted.
Man who run inside car is nut that needs to be bolted in."
Be not surprised if now you are even more confused. That is goal of oriental wisdom!
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