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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?

#401

Post by dri_ft »

mdip wrote: post #362
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.

Completely agree! The funny thing is the first thing I thought of was an old microwave I owned with a similar setup mainly because the microwave I own, today, is so awful [0]. I have a GE combination convection oven/microwave and it was clearly designed by someone who had their first experience with LSD that day. Every function requires a different, magic, set of key combinations to make it work. Want to set a timer?…

Holy christ. Horrifying. I can't understand how microwaves are all so bad. Where are the good ones? Isn't it less work to make a simpler (better) interface than the baroque ones we end up with?

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

#402

Post by falsedan »

vatotemking wrote: post #32

The side-stand of a motorcycle that swings backward to retract. Such a simple yet life saving design. For tech stuff, checkout Windows Surface Hub.

  > The side-stand of a motorcycle that swings backward to retract
A kickstand?[0]

0: https://youtu.be/e8qcqXuZTcg

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

#404

Post by antocv »

mdip wrote: post #362
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.

Completely agree! The funny thing is the first thing I thought of was an old microwave I owned with a similar setup mainly because the microwave I own, today, is so awful [0]. I have a GE combination convection oven/microwave and it was clearly designed by someone who had their first experience with LSD that day. Every function requires a different, magic, set of key combinations to make it work. Want to set a timer?…

I would not stand that in my housing unit, sell it on craiglist or similar, buy a used older model.

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

#407

Post by Kurtz79 »

sgt wrote: post #392
nunez wrote: post #26

Apple MacBooks are the best laptops that I have ever used. Nothing comes close to them. Even my Surface. It's a great device (by far the best Windows laptop/convertible available), but it misses on some details (light bleed on the edges, kickstand doesn't align all the way)

The Macs are legendary for their design, but I have to say the winner is the MacBook Air. We have one at home, specifically the 2011 model MacBook Air. Such a fine piece of equipment and it still works pretty today as well as it did 6 years ago.

+1 for Macbook Air 13" 2010 (dedicated GPU).

Best laptop I ever owned, hands down.

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

#408

Post by seanp2k2 »

Eric_WVGG wrote: post #400

Bench made pocket knife with their "axis" locking mechanism. Never thought I would be a knife guy, but I was given one gen years ago and I'm still smitten with this thing. There is nothing quite like the snapping sound when it opens perfectly.

Yeah, once you figure out that pulling the closing button down combined with a flick opens it, it's basically an assisted-opening-but-not-illegal knife. I always thought that the ban on assisted openers was stupid anyway, since a fixed blade is faster still and 100% legal.

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

#409

Post by patrickk »

weavie wrote: post #376
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.

Not to mention that they're the easiest things ever to wash. Just put it under a tap and air dry.

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

#410

Post by golergka »

Traktor Z1 and X1 controllers. There's been a lot of different options for DJ controllers lately, but these two have been a perfect fit for my style and the music I play. They're certainly bad for a hip-hop turntablist, but for a steady BPM 4/4 house/techno set they're just perfect. They're very small, which is perfect for a crowded DJ booth in a bar. They're very easy and fast to setup, with built-in audio interface - which means that there's less gear to haul. They only have the necessary functions - which means that instead of wasting my time on what the sync button can do automatically, I can spend more effort on the human touch. And most importantly, they're modular - which means I'll be buying another pair to control 2 more decks pretty soon.
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