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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?

#491

Post by btschaegg »

fergie wrote: post #481

Ortleib panniers ( https://www.google.com/search?q=ortlieb+panniers ): * Are actually waterproof * Don't have lots of unnecessary compartments and pockets * Lift on and off really securely, yet really easily * Can be wiped clean * Super durable * Light * Can be worn as shoulder bag, or carried as a tote * No zips, yet can be completely sealed

I second that. However, if you also want to use it as a messenger bag, I prefer my Vaude Bayreuth II, since its hook mechanism can be closed.

With my Ortlieb bag, I regularily get stuck with one of the hooks in the back pockets of my trousers, so I have a habit of always removing the hooks altogether if I'm not using my bike, which is a bit of an annoyance. The Ortlieb bag is much more durable however.

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

#492

Post by huffmsa »

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.

Even though its a perpetual beta-program and the engineers break stuff every other update, I can't imagine life without it.

I tried watching Youtube on the desktop recently and was appalled at how terrible the interface was, esp without Red and no ABP.

Chromecasts are my go-to Christmas gifts every year.

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

#493

Post by rikkus »

i_don_t_know wrote: post #317

The ancient microwave in my first apartment. It had two knobs: one for time, one for power. It's immediately obvious how to cook something for how long, how to add more time, etc. All other microwaves that I've used I had to have someone explain to me what buttons to press in what order to do even the simplest things. And I've never seen anyone use all of those fancy buttons.

I've used a microwave which has one dial. You can turn it clockwise or anticlockwise to add/remove cooking time, which is fine.

The designers thought it'd be good to allow pressing the dial, as if it was a button. Pressing the dial set the cooking time to 30 seconds and immediately started cooking. A one-touch interface, how useful!

The only problem was that it was difficult to press the dial without accidentally nudging it clockwise or anticlockwise. Nine times out of ten I managed to turn it anticlockwise, which set a time of 95 hours or thereabouts - and began cooking.

I hate to think what may have happened in some people's houses where they've done this, not noticed that it said 95 hours and forgotten it was cooking.

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

#495

Post by janfoeh »

roryisok wrote: post #445
leonroy wrote: post #288

* Blendtec Blender - blew my first pay cheque on one nearly 10 years ago and it still looks and works good as new. Absolutely superb design and construction. * AGA Oven - I don't own one, but my parents do and growing up this thing was just incredible. Still looks and works like new. I honestly have never used an oven which looks and cooks so damn good. * Apple (Unibody) Macbook Pro - Despite my present feelings towa…

I have to argue with the last one, I think this garlic press https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/oxo-good-grip... is superior. When you're done with this one, you rotate the handle all the way around and the rubber cleaner on the back cleans the press. I've used both, and mine is easier to clean. You've hit on something though - it's amazing how many people out there suffer with badly designed kitchen uten…

The IKEA 365 garlic press is simple, sturdy, clever and only seven bucks: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20152158/?query=I...

The receptacle swings open, making cleaning trivial.

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

#496

Post by Xcelerate »

Dyer and Jenkins black cotton T-shirts.

I wear jeans and a black T-shirt basically every day, but I noticed a lot of the black T-shirts I purchased wore out quickly and started to fade right away. So I Googled "best black T-shirts" one day and a Reddit thread led me to Dyer and Jenkins. I've been wearing them for a year now and they have hardly faded and look just about as good as when I first bought them.

Dyer and Jenkins often gives away half off coupons as well, so I normally wait for one of those deals before I order a new set: https://www.dyerandjenkins.com/collections/tees/products/3-p...

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

#497

Post by knight17 »

patmcguire wrote: post #254

Google Reader. It actually let me add feeds, read them, and mark them read reliably. Everything after is focused on value-add instead of just fucking working.

I've moved on to Feedly and then to Inorerader, but Google Reader was a wonderful feed reader. Nothing beats its search capability.

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

#498

Post by Klathmon »

roryisok wrote: post #445
leonroy wrote: post #288

* Blendtec Blender - blew my first pay cheque on one nearly 10 years ago and it still looks and works good as new. Absolutely superb design and construction. * AGA Oven - I don't own one, but my parents do and growing up this thing was just incredible. Still looks and works like new. I honestly have never used an oven which looks and cooks so damn good. * Apple (Unibody) Macbook Pro - Despite my present feelings towa…

I have to argue with the last one, I think this garlic press https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/oxo-good-grip... is superior. When you're done with this one, you rotate the handle all the way around and the rubber cleaner on the back cleans the press. I've used both, and mine is easier to clean. You've hit on something though - it's amazing how many people out there suffer with badly designed kitchen uten…

I worked as an assistant mechanic for a few years, and it was a running joke that if something took me more than 15 minutes, the head mechanic probably had a tool to do it in 1.

It's incredible how much a good tool helps, and it really goes to show the difference between a rookie and a master even when they are both doing the exact same job by reading the steps from a sheet that tells you what to do.

I'd reach for a socket, he'd grab my arm and hand me a ratcheting wrench knowing I'd need it before we even cracked open the hood.

I'd try to unscrew a stuck phillips head screw from a rotor, he'd stop me and hand me a tool which you put in the screw and hit with a hammer and it gets it unstuck.

I'd start trying to pry an exhaust off, he'd hand me a blowtorch, tell me to heat it for like 15 seconds, then hit it with a hammer and watch it fall to the ground.

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

#499

Post by throwanem »

tech2 wrote: post #354
pcr0 wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Asking out of ignorance, what sets EIZO monitors apart from other monitors?

Built-in colour management is really quite well done. Corner-to-corner evenness in illumination, true 10bit per colour. You pay for the privilege though. Beyond the features they're also very nicely built. Really not cheap though (for the high end ones I'm talking about). For a _lot_ less money if you weren't bothered about perfection then one of the Dell Ultrasharp displays would likely get you 95+% of the way there…

Can confirm. Ultrasharps aren't the best displays I've ever seen, but they are the best displays I've ever seen whose purchase doesn't feel like a serious investment.
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