Comment Re:Something to realise (Score 1) 802
I've always thought the 'setting the clock on your VCR' thing was a particularly invalid test of technical competence. If there was ever a stupider activity in this history of man's development, I can't imagine what it was. In order to set the clock on my current VCR, you have to:
a) turn the VCR off. The clock can't be set while the thing is actually "on", never mind running.
b) Push the Stop button. Obviously that's why it has to be off, because if it was on and you pressed stop, well, it would actually stop something.
c) Use the pause button to switch between minutes, hours and AM/PM
d) Use the fast forward and rewind keys to change the numbers.
My answering machine is similar, but stupider yet, because you have to press two keys at the same time to get it into time setting mode.
My microwave uses pressing the time button twice. Followed by the numbers, followed by the time button again. That's not bad, I suppose.
My car radio, also dumb. You use the preset buttons. If you press the button, you go to your radio station. If you press the button and hold it down, you set the station to the current station. If you press it and hold it down while hitting another button, you change the time on the clock.
Would having a whole independent set of buttons just for setting the clock really be such a terrible hardship? Maybe it's overkill on my $99 VCR, but my microwave has a separate button for defrosting fish, and another one for heating breakfast pastries, two things I've never done in my life, while I reset the clock 5 or 6 times a year. And as for my 20K dollar car? Somewhere in there must be the budget for one or two extra buttons.
a) turn the VCR off. The clock can't be set while the thing is actually "on", never mind running.
b) Push the Stop button. Obviously that's why it has to be off, because if it was on and you pressed stop, well, it would actually stop something.
c) Use the pause button to switch between minutes, hours and AM/PM
d) Use the fast forward and rewind keys to change the numbers.
My answering machine is similar, but stupider yet, because you have to press two keys at the same time to get it into time setting mode.
My microwave uses pressing the time button twice. Followed by the numbers, followed by the time button again. That's not bad, I suppose.
My car radio, also dumb. You use the preset buttons. If you press the button, you go to your radio station. If you press the button and hold it down, you set the station to the current station. If you press it and hold it down while hitting another button, you change the time on the clock.
Would having a whole independent set of buttons just for setting the clock really be such a terrible hardship? Maybe it's overkill on my $99 VCR, but my microwave has a separate button for defrosting fish, and another one for heating breakfast pastries, two things I've never done in my life, while I reset the clock 5 or 6 times a year. And as for my 20K dollar car? Somewhere in there must be the budget for one or two extra buttons.
