Bic Cristal Ballpoint pen. Blue.
Pilot Hi-Tec C's are better having used both.
The fact that a box of 100 blue Bics is (presumably) much cheaper than the Pilot equivalent is an important part of the design for me.
Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
851–860 of 1001 posts
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#852Ducati Monster
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#853The Tom Bihn Synapse 25 backpack: https://www.tombihn.com/collections/backpacks/products/synap... I went nomad earlier this year and decided I needed a good backpack. After much research, I landed on the Synapse. It's simply amazing that something as simple as "a bag" can be so well designed. So clearly better. It's the only product I've ever owned where I notice myself stop and admire it regularly.
There was an Ask HN about backpacks just about 40 days ago (link: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13369197 ), and a lot of good recommendations were made there. I ended up buying an Osprey Flapjack, which has been the best bag I ever owned. As a Mainer, I own about a dozen LL Bean bags, and am bordering on heresy by speaking up for the Osprey...
I'm with you on the Osprey... I've got a Momentum 30, and it does everything I need from it (with capabilities past that when I need it).
Add in the fantastic warranty, and it's hard to think of a better option.
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#854Grado headphones.
I'm torn on this. Best-designed things ever? I've got a 20 year old pair of SR-60's that I use daily. I'm on my 3rd or 4th set of foam ear cups, and the left channel solder joint failed about 5 years ago (which was easy to fix - just resolder the joint). However they're not the most comfortable headphones. I'd prefer the foam surround be higher density and/or thicker so that it keeps the plastic grill off of my ears. After about 1-2 hours of listening my ears need a break.
From a value proposition - $60 over 20 years and they still sound great - that's hard to beat. But from a perfect design perspective I think they could use a little improvement.
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#855Fiskars Axes: http://www.fiskars.eu/products/gardening/axes/splitting-axe-... Barbour Jackets: http://www.barbour.com/eu/categories/mens/waxed-jackets/barb... Camper Shoes: https://www.camper.com/en_FI/men/shoes/peu/camper-peu-17665-... Stihl Chainsaws: http://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-tools-A-great-range/Chainsa... Genelec Speakers: http://www.genelec.com/8351 Desktops: Mac Pro 1st Generation Laptops: Macbook Pro Ph…
I'm Finn, coming from the land of Fiskars and axes. And I have to disagree with Fiskars. The axes are very good for chopping wood, but that's it. If you are serious backpacker, craftsman, carpenter etc, you wan't to use your axe in different ways too. The biggest "chopping" axe from fiskars is too short for building a fire that would keep you warm for the whole night. All of their "splitting" models have unnecessaril…
I agree ... a "Splitting Axe" like those from Fiskars are probably not best (well-designed) for uses outside splitting wood.
I agree with the OP, though, that Fiskars' axes are fabulous when it comes to splitting wood over your average Home Depot special.
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#856Software: Winamp. It is so simple and stupid and it works really well.
FYI
> Waiting on approval from legal dept & TPTB. If it were up to me, a Winamp 5.8 public beta would've been out months ago :)
https://twitter.com/ed_rich/status/817065613411713025
09:49 - 5. Jan. 2017
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#857Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agreed. Even a cheapish bike is a miracle of modern engineering, and a great force multiplier even for poor folks or folks too young to drive. I love my bike (a 20 year old Giant mountain bike that I bought to ride to college and have put thousands of miles on since).
A bicycle is also the most efficient form of single-person transportation by a huge margin (even if you generously include the calories burned).
Don't get me started...there's always someone (many someones, usually) arguing that cities shouldn't spend money on more bike lanes, when the auto traffic is so bad and there should be more car lanes. The cost of bike lanes is a rounding error compared to auto lanes; literally, foregoing adding a couple miles of additional highway lanes would pay for a whole small city to get bike lanes crisscrossing it, and could support more people.
And, I definitely attribute my good health (well into middle age) at least partially to biking so much throughout my life. Getting a few percent more people out of cars and onto bikes would help save the world in all sorts of ways, IMHO.
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#858The Casio F-91W Digital wrist watch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W Keeps better time than a Rolex, and is a fraction of the price. Waterproof. Has an alarm, stopwatch, and timer; all things missing from traditional wind ups. Interface is easy to use and discover. The battery last almost forever. Now, if you're asking if it's aesthetically pleasing, that's a different story. But we were talking about design…
The F91W is very hard to beat but I recommend shelling out the extra ten quid for a Casio W86: http://zegarki.worldtrade24.pl/images/Zegarek%20meski%20Casi... F91W owners are always jealous of my nice bright EL backlight!
While we are at it why not the indestructable g-shock for a few extra tens of quid? DW-5600?
http://www.g-shock.eu/global/images/lineup/zoom/DW-5600E-1VE...
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#859Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also, one thing I don't understand with the iOS alarm. Why doesn't it work like the Android one? On android, when I set an alarm, it tells me exactly how long I will sleep if I go to sleep right away.
The newest iOS has a feature that sounds like what you describe under "Bedtime" in the clock app.
Still not the same. Imagine that you're telling siri "wake me up at 9am" and it replies to you "alarm will ring in 8 hours".
Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?
#860Dyson vacuum cleaners. I have never once wondered "how do I do this?" when using my Dyson. From cleaning, to extensions, switching modes, and just plain using the thing, every inch of these vacuums is designed to the utmost degree to make them not only super powerful suction machines but also trivially easy to use.
I actually came here to post the Numatic Henry vacuum cleaner. A big simple cylinder with a face on it. Fantastic suction. Super long cord. Hand crank retractor (those spring loaded ones always wear down over time). Easy to unblock, the pipe unscrews at both ends.
While I agree Henry is great by itself the extensions you get with it are a disaster.