Simplicity Is Highly Overrated

That's exactly what I was thinking. Users have to learn, through repeated use, to trust automation. They might take a chance and buy an intelligent sensor-equipped washing machine, but only if they can control it manually if the intelligence turns out to suck. This is one reason why they appear to prefer complex products.

But there's a way around that: get a reputation for really good automation. (Yes, it's a chicken-and-egg problem, but I'm sure it's doable for consumer electronics.) Where users are confident that automation will work well, I predict we'll find that "users prefer complex products" is less true.

My Capresso kettle has only one button. I fill it to two cups, the minimum, boil the water and make my tea. Now, what if I wanted green tea instead of black? They say that green tea ought to be brewed at 200°F for best taste. Do I have less control because it has one button? No, I have the same amount of control as before: I just have less automation. So to get my ~200°F I pour the water into my mug, wait 30-60 seconds and add my tea bag.

But really, do features sell to all consumers equally well, or just to the inattentive or uneducated?

My dishwasher has only 8 settings, 4 of which are the type of wash. Nothing is unclear in the design. If I've got a light load I press "Light". If I don't want it to do a heated dry I press "Heated Dry" to turn it off. The design and intended use of the dishwasher is clear.

I'll be the first to admit that I like a little too much automation. But really, is the $250 toaster worth it? I don't find myself needing the features, and I would not buy such a thing unless tricked into it.