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Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

pencerw.com

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Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#51

Post by pencerw »

ben509 wrote: post #43
pencerw wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey! Co-inventor of the product (and author of the link) here. The reason that the button isn't on the lid is because that makes the lid uglier and, more importantly, undermines the philosophy behind the UI - which is to keep the device as absolutely simple as possible. The idea came from my partner (Zach Dunham) and was inspired partly by Radiolab's 2008 episode, "Choice" - it's a bit of a deep cut but I recommend l…

> undermines the philosophy behind the UI - which is to keep the device as absolutely simple as possible. But you're not keeping it simple, you're just pretending the complexity doesn't exist. The task still needs to be performed, and you've made it far more difficult.

Your argument certainly has validity, but the bottom line is that our customers don't interact with the choice of what to listen to (which is kind of the core idea of the product) on a day to day basis.

And, whatever philosophy we bring to the table is really neither here nor there. Our customers (apparently) like our product enough to buy it, and we have really low return rates, and the customer support emails (which I literally respond to 100% of) are almost exclusively positive and outright friendly. But that doesn't mean you have to like the product! And anyway the point of the blog post was to explain how our business works operationally - not to promote (or defend) the product itself.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#52

Post by pencerw »

seiko988 wrote: post #36
pencerw wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey! Co-inventor of the product (and author of the link) here. The reason that the button isn't on the lid is because that makes the lid uglier and, more importantly, undermines the philosophy behind the UI - which is to keep the device as absolutely simple as possible. The idea came from my partner (Zach Dunham) and was inspired partly by Radiolab's 2008 episode, "Choice" - it's a bit of a deep cut but I recommend l…

Reminds me of the Muji CD player which has just on/off, eject. No skip tracks / rewind

Oh that's awesome - I wasn't aware of that at all!

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#53

Post by analog31 »

monocasa wrote: post #37
analog31 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My son has also gotten into vinyl and more recently... cassettes! I think part of the fun is going to the used record store with his friends. It's a pretty harmless hobby -- most of the tapes tapes are a buck apiece. Another aspect might be just being different than his dad. I got my first hi-fi system in the early 80s. Today, my "home stereo" is an old cell phone and a bluetooth audio adapter board that powers a pai…

I've got a friend (who, yes, is a Brooklyn hipster) who puts out his new music in two formats: FLAC and cassette.

Oddly enough, cassette might be a better business model. For second-tier and small time musicians, monetizing recorded music via digital distribution is nearly a bust. This is one reason why, even in this day and age, a traveling band will still lug a suitcase full of CDs around with them. There is still something about having a physical deliverable that makes people willing to pay for it.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#54

Post by jdietrich »

analog31 wrote: post #53
monocasa wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've got a friend (who, yes, is a Brooklyn hipster) who puts out his new music in two formats: FLAC and cassette.

Oddly enough, cassette might be a better business model. For second-tier and small time musicians, monetizing recorded music via digital distribution is nearly a bust. This is one reason why, even in this day and age, a traveling band will still lug a suitcase full of CDs around with them. There is still something about having a physical deliverable that makes people willing to pay for it.

"Free download code with every t-shirt" is a surprisingly effective model for indie artists.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#55

Post by jdietrich »

ben509 wrote: post #43
pencerw wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey! Co-inventor of the product (and author of the link) here. The reason that the button isn't on the lid is because that makes the lid uglier and, more importantly, undermines the philosophy behind the UI - which is to keep the device as absolutely simple as possible. The idea came from my partner (Zach Dunham) and was inspired partly by Radiolab's 2008 episode, "Choice" - it's a bit of a deep cut but I recommend l…

> undermines the philosophy behind the UI - which is to keep the device as absolutely simple as possible. But you're not keeping it simple, you're just pretending the complexity doesn't exist. The task still needs to be performed, and you've made it far more difficult.

An iPhone has approximately the same level of technical complexity as a Saturn V rocket. One can be used by a toddler; the other needed the entire might of the military-industrial complex to successfully operate.

Apparent complexity matters just as much as real complexity.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#56

Post by pencerw »

jdietrich wrote: post #55
ben509 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> undermines the philosophy behind the UI - which is to keep the device as absolutely simple as possible. But you're not keeping it simple, you're just pretending the complexity doesn't exist. The task still needs to be performed, and you've made it far more difficult.

An iPhone has approximately the same level of technical complexity as a Saturn V rocket. One can be used by a toddler; the other needed the entire might of the military-industrial complex to successfully operate. Apparent complexity matters just as much as real complexity.

I <3 this.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#57

Post by Aloha »

pstuart wrote: post #21
Aloha wrote: post #5

I'm an avid radio listener, literally every room in my house with a power outlet has one or more tabletop radios in it. Why would I want a radio that only tunes to one channel? I tend to use vintage (80's era) clock radios at home for my tabletop radios, because of their decent pricing.

Maybe you're not the target market. I only listen to radio in the car, so I'm not that market either. That said, it's a brilliant idea and I can see the appeal to many who do listen to one public station all day.

I mean I do only listen to one station all day, I virtually never change the station, but I like the ability to do so.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#58

Post by Aloha »

jdietrich wrote: post #54
analog31 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oddly enough, cassette might be a better business model. For second-tier and small time musicians, monetizing recorded music via digital distribution is nearly a bust. This is one reason why, even in this day and age, a traveling band will still lug a suitcase full of CDs around with them. There is still something about having a physical deliverable that makes people willing to pay for it.

"Free download code with every t-shirt" is a surprisingly effective model for indie artists.

You can get 200% markup on a decent T-shirt and not make it feel like it's gouging either.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#59

Post by anoncake »

reaperducer wrote: post #40
StevePerkins wrote: post #4

This product just seems... like a throwback to the first decade of this century. A time when we rebelled against over-advertised, and over-priced Gillette Fusion cartridges. Not by growing beards (that would come in the 2010's). But rather by shaving with $100 German double-edge razors, badger hair brushes, and artisial shaving soaps instead. This here is a cheap pocket radio, like you could find at Walmart for $5. E…

It would be a welcome addition to my dentist's office. He is forever struggling with his staff switching the office radio from classical to something else. I guess that's a use case.

That's also a use case for a cheap radio with mechanical controls and some glue.

Re: Why The Public Radio is sixty dollars (2018)

#60

Post by unwiredben »

StevePerkins wrote: post #4

This product just seems... like a throwback to the first decade of this century. A time when we rebelled against over-advertised, and over-priced Gillette Fusion cartridges. Not by growing beards (that would come in the 2010's). But rather by shaving with $100 German double-edge razors, badger hair brushes, and artisial shaving soaps instead. This here is a cheap pocket radio, like you could find at Walmart for $5. E…

I bought one of the original kit versions of this and also bought one of the most recent units as a gift to my mother-in-law. We love it; it runs in our bathroom in the morning, is dead simple to use, and lasts a very long time on a battery. Yes, a cheap plastic radio would be less expensive, but then we'd be dealing with tuning that can drift, a poorer speaker, and a less charming exterior.
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