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And in 90s mode, the appliance must still be able to do all the things it could do in the 90s.
There has been exactly one useful innovation in non-computer appliances since 1999, and that is backup cameras on cars.
Looks like a Miele. That menu can be exited (the image where it says "Software Update", the tiny bit on the right... that's a scroll bar of multiple options including the ability to exit this menu), but it does imply that the dishwasher is already connected to Wi-Fi and that it has determined that there is an update available. There are few times that a dishwasher is interacted with, if not when you go into the menu…
> The Wi-Fi is useful [...] Performs updates, etc. Ah yes, get wifi so your dishwasher can get security updates, which you need because your dishwasher is on wifi.
Do never connect things to any network - and especially the internet - if it is not required for operation.
What worries are people which blindly request "more digitalization". We need resilience, not digitalization! Once a unnamed person complained about the fact the the Boeing 747-400 still gets flight data updates with a floppy. They argued it should use WiFi and central updates from a server and so on. NOT! The floppy allows control, save operation and flexible updates. Don't even add an USB-Port, this just allows someone to roast the electronics with a cheap USB-Gadget.
Just let programmers program more code doesn't make good programs. Actually it is vice versa.
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Updates improve wash efficiency, etc. Not just security updates. Maybe a new cleaning powder comes with a new algo. Maybe there's a better dosing for certain levels of water hardness. But the gist is that it updates the whole module. I'm fine with this, Miele are like Bosch in that they look after the hardware they sell for decades rather than considering it deprecated the day it leaves a shop floor.
I've used Miele appliances for 3 decades now. Somehow, until recently, they managed to provide excellent quality and durability without spying on their users and releasing half baked firmwares in need of updates.
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"the Wi-Fi is useful... the dishwasher auto-doses the powder, rinse aid, salt, etc... and can let me know the levels of those." I do appreciate your respect for the usefulness of this functionality -- I just throw my laundry in the machine, press ON and then press START, throw in a random amount of soap and 60 minutes later or so I have clean clothes.
> I just throw my laundry in the machine Into the dishwasher?
Although for countries where laundry machines are typically in the kitchen, a theoretical hybrid machine would be interesting (if it worked well, and the dish specific stuff could fold away compactly), but in practice multi-function machines like that rarely seem to turn out well.
Looks like a Miele. That menu can be exited (the image where it says "Software Update", the tiny bit on the right... that's a scroll bar of multiple options including the ability to exit this menu), but it does imply that the dishwasher is already connected to Wi-Fi and that it has determined that there is an update available. There are few times that a dishwasher is interacted with, if not when you go into the menu…
I have never once needed my dishwasher to be operated remotely. Load it and press start. The dishes get clean and it has no software just buttons. If the dishes get clean what further enhancements needed to be done?
Lots of appliances have actual use cases for WiFi. A Fridge for example makes a loud beep if you forgot to close the door and the temperature is too high. But forget the door and leave your house, and you won't hear the beep. A push notification would solve it. One can argue whether such a feature is actually worth having in a fridge (Added costs, security risks, complexity...) But at least it has a valid use case: n…
A pretty useful feature would be to start when electricity prices are low.
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No software is perfect when shipped Why not? Or rather, why do we accept this as the norm? A dishwasher isn't that complex, it should be possible to prove the firmware error-free.
>it should be possible to prove the firmware error-free perhaps they tried, but got stuck on the bit where they tried to figure out if it halts or not.
"we’ve let nerds go too far"
They -- the consumers -- are not blaming marketing or executives. No. They are blaming people who should know better, but allow this particular brand insanity to evolve.
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Sorry, but you forgot to write why the WiFi is useful, the things you listed are not useful at all and/or don't need WiFi.
At the risk of sounding old and snarky, I’ve been looking at a Miele dishwasher and I’m afraid I’m not quite intelligent enough to use it without either an app or an advanced training program. Crap, what happened to ‘normal’ versus ‘heavy’? The damned things are more complicated than my child.
There's about a dozen settings on the washer's wash-cycle dial, and two rows of buttons. I don't know what they're all for. It's nuts - there must be about 40 combinations.
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This is exactly why Stallman invented free software: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-even-more-impor... .
Ehh... this is more like "people don't want software on their Dishwasher" rather than "people want free software on their dishwasher"