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

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

#371

Post by omegote »

mattkevan wrote: post #367

MUJI 0.5mm gel ink pens [0] - I've used these pens for so long that my handwriting goes haywire when using a different make. Perfect balance of smoothness and scratchiness - with fast drying ink, which as a lefty is vital. Harmon Kardon Soundsticks II – had mine for over a decade and they still sound and look great. Gaggia Colour espresso machine – looks great, built like a tank, simple to repair, and still produces…

> Chromecast – it just works. Feels like the future to use my phone to stream video from the Raspberry Pi to the TV.

Not quite following you here. Why would you need the chromecast if you have a Raspberry attached to your TV?

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

#372

Post by owenwil »

rkangel wrote: post #364

Google Chromecast Takes a quite complicated set of things going on (control signals from phone, data signals from internet), and turns them into a seamless intuitive experience. I find the initial setup process particularly excellent. Getting a device with no user input onto a wifi network would normally be a nightmare, but the magic they do with setting up a temporary access point on the device is excellent.

100% agree - for the price, you get so much mileage

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

#373

Post by lb1lf »

Good question; it caused me to go through the house, looking at lots of objects trying to figure out which one(s) were exceptional, in my book.

Here's my top list:

The Optimus 00 kerosene stove. Hardly a thing has changed in over a century of production. Utterly unbreakable, not a single superfluous component or feature. Just plain works.

Moccamaster drip brewer. Probably the drip brewer to beat. The product is eminently drinkable, it is a reliable and consistent performer, not much that can go wrong except breaking the beaker (no worries, a new one is $20 a five-minute walk from home) - and they even sell spare parts - any component; mine is 28 years old and still going strong, having had its thermostat replaced once.

BRIO toy trains. (Tie with LEGO) - unbreakable, and their long-term commitment to compatibility is fantastic; I can buy BRIO odds and ends in the toy shop today which interfaces perfectly with stuff my parents bought for me when I was a kid. Same goes, to a slightly lesser extent, for LEGO.

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

#374

Post by mdip »

It took me about a second to think of Dixon Ticonderoga pencils. These are the perfect nexus of good and cheap. These things have the critical features one looks for in a writing instrument, my favorite of which is that I can put it in my electric pencil sharpener and the lead never snaps just prior to the point at which it becomes sharp.

And these guys finally figured out something useful to do with that pink, rubbery, knob at the end of the pencil. I've never been able to figure out what this rubber piece is for on other pencils. On some, it works like a highlighter, but not as well -- leaving this pale, pinkish/carbon smudged mess all over the page. On others, it works like the worlds worst paper shredder, ripping through the page haphazardly, but not in such a useful way as to render the contents securely shredded. On Dixon Ticonderoga pencils, this rubber knob removes any pencil markings that were made in error. It's incredible!

The best part, though, is that you can get a box of almost 100 of them for around $14.

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

#375

Post by owenwil »

kampsduac wrote: post #165

I really enjoy my aeropress ( https://aerobie.com/product/aeropress/ ) coffee press. The modern take on a French press, price, and availability on Amazon made me realize anybody can have a great idea, print it in plastic, and sell it to people - arriving two days later. Plus the coffee that comes out is dope.

That's one of the few gadgets I use every single day, to the point that I forget I even have it. Five years strong so far, and I love that damn thing.

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

#376

Post by weavie »

grandalf wrote: post #287

- My cast iron skillet. It's indestructible and once I learned to season it and cook with it, I prefer it over any other. - 15" Macbook Pro w/ Retina display, iPhone 7 - BNC connectors - The Xtrend Professional Rabbit Wine Opener. (Super cheap on Amazon and it has an incredibly well-designed mechanism) - The Mezlan Cordoba men's shoe -- high quality, no break-in needed, durable, fashionable. - Crocs -- indestructible…

> - Crocs -- indestructible, comfy.

Why these are so berated really dumbfounds me. I love my crocs. So easy to slip on, comfy. Good for all seasons, summer without socks, winter with socks. And (imho) they look awesome too.

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

#377

Post by EvilTerran »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #113

The interior layout of a 1990s Ford truck or Bronco. All controls can be done by feel without fat fingering anything while wearing work gloves, radio included. The radio is placed so you don't have to take your eyes off the road to tune it anymore than you would the speedometer. They even make the +/- buttons convex/concave and put little bars on the preselects to make it easier to do by feel. The motion ratio on the…

> Honorable mention for industrial vacuum cleaners.

It's not quite industrial (although the manufacturer does also make shop-vacs in a similar style), but I'm a huge fan of my Henry[0] - I bought it on the principle of "everyone who vacuums for a living seems to use one, they must be on to something", and it's completely lived up to my expectations. It's light enough to lug around one-handed, but still feels sturdy (and has survived falling down the stairs at least once); somehow manages to be quieter and have more suction than most vacuums I've tried; has a comically-high capacity; the cord-winder is a brilliant in the simplicity of its engineering; ... and, yes, I know how irrational it is to personify inanimate objects, but his happy face still cheers me up all the same.

On another note, although it looks like a piece of plasticky infomercial tat... I picked up one of these spider catchers[1] on a whim a few months back, and I still can't quite get over just how damn well the thing works. It's a lot quicker than the old "tumbler and a postcard" technique, is much more reliable at catching them before they get away, keeps them trapped-by-default 'til you squeeze the handle (no more "whoops the card slipped, oh great the spider's escaped again"), doesn't seem to injure even really fragile-looking ones (eg cellar spiders/"daddy long-legs") - and keeps you at a far more comfortable distance throughout the whole process.

[0] https://www.numatic.co.uk/product-view.aspx?id=366&r=4&sr=1

[1] https://www.spidercatcher.net/product.htm

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

#378

Post by AlecGard »

omegote wrote: post #371
mattkevan wrote: post #367

MUJI 0.5mm gel ink pens [0] - I've used these pens for so long that my handwriting goes haywire when using a different make. Perfect balance of smoothness and scratchiness - with fast drying ink, which as a lefty is vital. Harmon Kardon Soundsticks II – had mine for over a decade and they still sound and look great. Gaggia Colour espresso machine – looks great, built like a tank, simple to repair, and still produces…

> Chromecast – it just works. Feels like the future to use my phone to stream video from the Raspberry Pi to the TV. Not quite following you here. Why would you need the chromecast if you have a Raspberry attached to your TV?

Probably using the Raspberry Pi as a Media Centre, and then using phone to stream from Pi > Chromecast.

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

#379

Post by poyu »

Power Mac G5. If you ever open that thing, you'll know it's really taking computer making to the next level!

It's meant to be tool-less all the way, you can change almost everything (RAM, CPU, HDD) using at most one or two screwdrivers. And the way the hinges and interlocks work together is amazing. Not to mention its build quality.

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