Tried to resist commenting, but Len's stood out <mine inserted below>
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2016 11:18:49 -0600
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] New products
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
As a developer of both hardware and software products that use touch screens
I have mixed feelings.
My number one gripe with soft environments is the tendency to continually
modify the environment and jam more and more functionality into the same
footprint. This either needs to be done with width or depth, take your
pick. Both Apple and Windows are horrible abusers. Every new version of
their software requires users to hunt down functions that have been moved or
crammed down. Functions that were originally intuitive are now obfuscated
in the name of progress. Lack of consistency is extremely frustrating for
most users.
=Absolutely agree - why I am keeping my XP32-SP3 until it fails. I
will soon go off-line so security will not be any issue unless I load
a file via flash-drive (which I will do occasionally). Vista-win8 so
frustrating I just didn't use that computer for much of anything. I
will use win10 (made better than win8 by customer revolt) for
internet and e-mail (primarily).
=But my ham applications stay on XP32 where they work; no driver
upgrades or hdwr upgrades. For K3/KX3 firmware upgrades I will just
plug the USB cable into the win10, temporarily.
Today because of the ease of soft environments it seems that companies feel
compelled to continually bring a "new look" to each software revision of
their website or product. How many of you think Yahoo scored a home run
with NEO? In my opinion NEO is an absolute disaster. But corporate egos
won't allow users out. How would you like someone mucking with your beloved
radio in the name of pretty progress. I'll take consistency over pretty and
modern every time. I'm buying a radio, I don't want an iPhone clone, or an
Icom clone, I want my KX3 to look and exactly like the KX3 I bought. I
trust the engineers at Elecraft to make acceptable and necessary upgrades
for functionality. I also trust that they are not going to ruin a great
radio in the name of glitter..
=I chose the K3 because it is what I wanted: a good combo of
traditional user interface with firmware upgradability. I could have
chosen a Flex-5000 at that point in time. I run sw on my computer to
control the K3 for the modes that need a more graphical
display. Normal voice modes work fine with knobs. CW too.
It has been pointed out previously in this thread that all of Elecraft's
radios can be easily connected to a computer for computer control. Not
everything in the world needs to be integrated, and often doing so creates
compromises that are much more difficult to live with and limit the lifetime
of a product. I'm tickled pink with my Elecraft products and don't feel the
need for them to emulate anyone else to keep me as a customer! We shouldn't
be compelled to buy a radio every two years like we do with cell phones. My
expectation is to buy a product that will function for many years, and
possibly a decade or more. I would rather have multiple Elecraft products
rather than one that pretends to be all things to all people.
=every two years? More like every two months. My wife still uses
her flip-phone for phone calls; has ipad for the other stuff, and a
laptop, and a couple kindles; and another ipad which partially failed - enough!
=We have land-line telephone which includes our DSL (no fiber up here
as yet). I have no cell. MY younger sister and her husband switched
to only having cell; not sure how they get internet in Ohio? Maybe
only from their phones?
=progress is nice <some times> but not just for the reason for selling stuff.
73
73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com
"Kits made by KL7UW"
Dubus Mag business:
[email protected]
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