I’m often a Luddite regarding smart versions of simple electronics, but at least part of the issue is how cumbersome “dumb” versions have become relative to modern software. The knobs on my gas stove are intuitive, yes, but the buttons on my dumb microwave are not. It takes trial-and-error every six months to adjust the clock for DST. I bought a $30 Casio watch recently, specifically for the hourly chime so I don’t miss Zoom meetings while away from my laptop. It works great, but when I wanted to disable the chime on vacation I had to download a large, unsearchable PDF manual on my iPhone because I couldn’t figure it out. And this is an interface that, presumably, has been honed by decades of use by billions of people. It wasn’t enough of an issue to make me consider an Apple Watch or the like, but it’s made me more sympathetic to people who gravitate to modern, frivolous-seeming electronics by default. To a security-naive buyer (i.e., everyone), “smart” often means “usable without a manual”. I imagine this is doubly true for someone younger who isn’t used to electronics with highly constrained UI’s.
I bought an oven. I wanted one without many settings, “make it hot, make it hotter, off” type scenario.
I found a Smeg one that had just two knobs and seemed ok.
It turns out that they got all the settings in, but the interface is the two knobs. Click, click and hold, click and hold while twiddling the other knob etc.
Changing the clock with the manual in hand is still hard.
Even if it is usable without a manual, adjusting a timer switch hidden behind the couch using its LCD display and buttons is a lot less comfortable than using an app, if you do it frequently enough.
There are things where IoT was added to make them appear more modern, and things where it actually makes sense.
For the microwave, for example, I'd argue IoT would still be the wrong choice, because figuring out the magic buttons for setting the time twice a year is less work than dealing with the overhead of IoT (updating their app, managing the account when it breaks, etc.).
I've operated a bunch of button-equipped microwaves in my life and while changing the clock is a nuisance (and arguably, neither the microwave nor the electric oven should have clocks in the first place!), it's a great interface for its day-to-day use, i.e. heating stuff up.
The tactile and audio feedback, coupled with low modality and high reliability, means you can operate it without looking. On the microwaves I owned, I'd start keying in times with one hand while the other hand was still putting the food in, and closing the lid doors would coincide with me pressing <Start>.
That's not an experience you can replicate with an app. Phones themselves aren't ergonomic enough, and even if they were, app creators generally don't know how to design ergonomic user interfaces.
The microwave was also the first digital clock we ever had in my childhood home, and was prominent in the kitchen. I do remember it fondly, but then again, we also had analog clocks around the house. It was a hassle to keep them all in sync ;).
But the problem I now see is that a kitchen today can have half a dozen clocks in it now, because a lot of appliances ship with one.
My experience is that the smarter the device, the worse the UX. Smart UIs are laggy and less buttons/knobs usually means more fumbling in order to do anything.
Also, touchscreens assume reasonably clean, dry and ungloved hands. This mixes poorly with kitchens.
> "The knobs on my gas stove are intuitive, yes, but the buttons on my dumb microwave are not. It takes trial-and-error every six months to adjust the clock for DST."
Not really related to the topic but there are microwaves out there with a well implemented dial control, e.g. some Panasonic models. Worth every penny for a device I use so frequently.
