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Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

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Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#291

Post by smt88 »

langcalvin wrote: post #278

I'll go a game route: Mario Kart. It's just so perfect. All of them from the SNES to the Switch. I've played countless hours and never get bored. The level designs are all so interesting and unique I find myself discovering something new every time. It's social and I've seen it dominate dinner parties.

This is a fascinating response, partly because of how passionately I disagree.

I loved Mario Kart for SNES and N64.

After that, Nintendo seemed to have no idea what people even liked about the games.

They added more characters, more cars, and more level interference, meaning that you were competing less and less on skill.

Worse, your choices for character and car could have enormous and difficult to predict effects on your performance.

After the N64 game, I found that series to be astonishingly boring. My one friend who enjoys it can't find anyone to play it with him.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#292

Post by bittercynic »

WorldPeas wrote: post #115
samspenc wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been looking into a home gym and am torn between Tonal, Mirror and other offerings. Just curious if you've compared Tonal against Mirror, Peloton, etc?

I don't want to come off as aggressive or smug saying this, but I was considering buying one of these and my friend gave me a used book called solitary fitness and I got a nice muscular build without needing a gym. When the gyms closed because of the pandemic nothing changed for me, because you can't take whats in your noggin. Plus it's muuuch cheaper. Just tryin to save ya the trouble

I've spent about the past 30 minutes reading the beginning of the book based on your recommendation, and really enjoying it.

Thank you for the suggestion!

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#294

Post by sb057 »

theduemmer wrote: post #91

McMaster-Carr has the best shopping website I've ever seen. The UI is beautifully intuitive; even if I don't know exactly what I need, odds are I can easily find something that will work and they can have it at my doorstep in under 24 hours, no matter how obscure. Even if I don't plan on buying anything, it can be helpful to click through the site just to see what is available. Because most categories of parts have s…

Honorable mention to Rock Auto, which has a similarly dead simple shopping UI.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#296

Post by theduemmer »

zinekeller wrote: post #208
theduemmer wrote: post #91

McMaster-Carr has the best shopping website I've ever seen. The UI is beautifully intuitive; even if I don't know exactly what I need, odds are I can easily find something that will work and they can have it at my doorstep in under 24 hours, no matter how obscure. Even if I don't plan on buying anything, it can be helpful to click through the site just to see what is available. Because most categories of parts have s…

> I hear they aren't very good outside the US though, which is a shame. I hope that this comment won't be interpreted harshly, but their familiarity with mainly American measurements really handicaps them elsewhere. It's not really their fault, but counterintuitively from where I am it's still miles better than other (domestic or international) suppliers for smaller quantities.

I was more referring to issues with shipping and ordering outside of the US. But you are entirely right about them focusing on American measurements, their selection of metric parts is much weaker and more expensive than their customary (main?) Sizes of parts. I do wonder if they are or will be working on improving that any time soon.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#297

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

briga wrote: post #178
Misdicorl wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must disagree with you on maps. Google maps is a fantastic geographic aware search. It is a horrific map. On any given screen there is an 80% chance that the major road I'm interested in is not labeled. Finding the name of a relevant cross street is a nightmare. I feel like it used to be better. Way better. I think the map aspect has been dropped entirely as a real feature now that they supply directions (search) p…

Have you tried the alternatives?

If the alternatives include "Google Maps from about 6 years ago", then yes, yes I have.

I don't really fault Google that much for their design decisions here, as Maps have really morphed into "Local Search", which makes sense for most use cases, but I agree with the GP, if you are just, for example, wanting to look at a map of a new area (i.e. not where you live), I think Maps is worse than it was some years ago.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#299

Post by qrohlf »

Rebelgecko wrote: post #281
theduemmer wrote: post #91

McMaster-Carr has the best shopping website I've ever seen. The UI is beautifully intuitive; even if I don't know exactly what I need, odds are I can easily find something that will work and they can have it at my doorstep in under 24 hours, no matter how obscure. Even if I don't plan on buying anything, it can be helpful to click through the site just to see what is available. Because most categories of parts have s…

McMaster-Carr's website is great for finding items, but it's really irritating if you're just ordering one or two things and want to know what it'll actually cost. Unless it's changed in the last few years, they won't let you know the grand total until AFTER you place your order. Maybe it helps them simplify order fulfillment, but it's really annoying.

They changed it, you get a total before ordering now

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#300

Post by thih9 »

muzani wrote: post #192
kunle wrote: post #93

Pic's creamy peanut butter: https://picspb.com/products/creamy-pb I don't even care for peanut butter and this just hits. Super smooth, not too sweet - i eat it by the spoonful. I literally did not think there was any difference between different peanut butter brands until I had Pic's.

I've been searching for a PB that didn't literally add trans fat. After a few years of searching, Pic's was the only good one.

There are peanut butter brands where the product is just blended peanuts. Though they can be more expensive and the texture is different.
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