Perspective: Why it's hard not to be a tech Grinch

I should have bought the iPod.

Not quite as compelling an opening as "Call me Ishmael," but I'm having a hard time not regretting a recent bout of foolishness at the mall.

Mistake No. 1 was disregarding my better instincts and gift-shopping for the holidays on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It's been 40 years since I last went shopping on Black Friday (this recent excursion, for the record, was made against my will) and it will be at least another 40 years before I try it again. By the time I arrived at Circuit City, the ravaging hordes had picked clean all the one-day specials. And so it was that I settled on what was left over--in this case a Sansa m240 from SanDisk.

CNET Reviews gave the product a 7.3 rating, so I went with the recommendation. But after nearly two weeks of tinkering with the unit, let's just say I've been quite tempted to hammer the Sansa into scrap metal.

Too few technology gadgets and applications fall into the category of plug and play. More often, it's manipulate and pray.

I won't bore you with the details of the software hell I suffered, but there were any number of minor technical questions the company leaves customers to figure out on their own. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is longer than the tiny booklet of "technical documentation" that came with the unit. Three pages of instruction?-in big type-?in three different languages just didn't do it. So my frustration grew as the afternoon lengthened into the late evening and still I was left trying to understand the particular mindset of the genius who designed the music player's interface.

Of course, you can send an e-mail to the company and wait hours until an anonymous technician responds. The way SanDisk and most other tech companies do the math, technical support is a cost center. The less interaction, the better. There's no gain for the bottom line when consultants spend time on the phone with Manny from Detroit, Bob from Brooklyn, or Charlie from San Francisco.

The cost of answering customer queries adds up over time. But that's because so few of the products companies make these days are designed so regular human beings can get them up and running in no time at all.

If I want a mind teaser, I'll open the day's New York Times crossword puzzle. I don't get my jollies wasting a full day trying to deconstruct the original intention of a clueless product designer--and from what I gather from a recent panel on what consumers want in their gadgets, most people feel the same way.

How many manufacturers really obsess about eliminating customer confusion? Unfortunately, Apple Computer is the exception to the rule. And that raises the bigger problem so many of you will encounter as the gift-giving season kicks into high gear. Too few technology gadgets and applications fall into the category of plug and play. More often, it's manipulate and pray.

So it is that vendors get away with putting the responsibility for technical support on your shoulders. The sad reality is that unless you're willing to pay for an extended warranty, you're on your own, folks.

Postscript to my personal tech tale of woe: after a day mucking around with the Sansa, I eventually got things straightened out. But it also confirmed the indelible truth that SanDisk CEO Eli Harari is no Steve Jobs.

I should have bought the iPod.

Biography
Charles Cooper is CNET News.com's executive editor of commentary.

More Perspectives

[princetigger]

Sandisk documentation

Since the Quick Start Guide did not answer your questions, and reason you did not read the 37 page manual? After reading your item, I went to sandisk.com to verify that it was still there.

I know that Apple's IPOD are great devices, but I think you would still have problems, if you did not read Apple's manual.

[mcepat]

it can be easy to be stupid though

word of advice, any software that any device comes with, take it out of the box and chuck it in the trash.

Connect your player (and any other digital player) connect it to windows media player and choose the "sync" tab, wow your done.

if you do need a driver when it asks for it point it to the disk and let windows find it, but never install there software.

REPEAT ONE MORE TIME: NEVER INSTALL THIRDPARTY SOFTWARE FOR A DIGITAL PLAYER, JUST CONNECT AND SYNC WITH WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER

THATS IS

You would have been done in like 5 minutes

I am sick of people buying devices and then installing the crappt thirdparty software and then bash windows.

If you had a ipod you wouldn't install a thirdparty app to sync would you?

So why do you do it on windows, windows media player on every player I have ever used, dell dj, creative micro, toshiba gigabeat works.

it just works

[df561]

that's why geeks don't get it

What rediculous advice....If you ship software it supposed to work.

and why Apple doesn't let 3rd parties play the iPod game. Because they will SCREW IT UP and confuse customers.

[rcrusoe]

Well, you can't use Media Player with a Zune

So it appears your advice doesn't hold true for all devices.

But then again, that's life with Windows. Most devices will work on Windows, if you are willing to invest the time and trouble of finding the right software and settings.

I make a very good living building and managing networks, servers, and users running Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. so I've learned what "just works" and what doesn't. And, IMO, Windows doesn't.

If it did, tens of thousands of tech support people would probably find themselves out of work.

Thank goodness, most people don't use Macs.

[erlongerlong]

customer satisfaction is key

Working in the manufacturing industry (not the tech industry), I can tell you that customer satisfaction and consumer insights play a huge role in our business. I think many tech companies striving for a piece of marketshare do focus on manufacturing and getting it out the door first, and customer sat is off in the distance. What I'm sure was equally aggravating is that you did the research and purchased based off of the CNET rating (I do this all the time for electronics), so you thought you were buying with a certain level of confidence.

This has nothing to do with 3rd party software like an above post mentioned. It has to do with buying a product that should be simple to setup use and work within minutes, regardless of skill level. If you've ever sat in on a focus group or usabilty study, you'd know that consumers simply don't take the time to read the instructions, so it's up to manufacturers to make the instructions less daunting, more to-the-point, and easy to follow. Who has the time or desire to spend a day getting something as trivial as an mp3 player working? If you must save on technical documentation costs, put the information on your website that's easily accessible. This is such a simple concept, yet so many manufacturing companies fail (not just in tech, but across several markets).

[ewelch]

What does this say about C|Net Ratings?

Not much, I guess. How much time is spent with such devices? Do
reviewers get hand-holding from the manufacturers? Shoudl this
not be taken into consideration?

Spend time without their help. Spend time! What a concept!

[G5Man]

Unfortunately???

"Unfortunately, Apple Computer is the exception to the rule."

More CNET bias. Why Unfortunately? Why not fortunately? At least there is ONE company who does pay attention to detail and offers consumers an experience that they deserve.

And yeah, what does this say about CNET's rating system!!

Drop the BIAS CNET. If Apple is better, STATE that Apple is better. Period.

G5Man

[rcrusoe]

I've got to go with Charles on this one.

Apple really is about the only company that works at getting things right.

And because most people, for the foreseeable future, are going to buy Windows computers, they are always going to be fighting problems of one kind or another.

I have people ask me what kind of computer to buy almost every week, and I always suggest they consider a Mac. But only about 1 in 5 take my advice. Those that do buy a Mac always come back and thank me.

Those that buy a PC almost always come back too. But they come back to ask me if I work on people's home computers. (No)

Charles is right. It's unfortunate.

[jabbotts]

I think the focus of the statement was "is" singular not "unfortunately"

The way I read the statement is that "unfortunately" Apple "is" the only or one of the few vendors to put emphasis on usability in there designs.

I don't think the meaning was that "unfortunately" "Apple" is the exception.

[iammilo]

Reading Comprehension

Read it again. The statement meant, "Apple got it right. It's too bad more companies aren't more like Apple so the consumers could be assured of purchasing a well-designed product. It is instead unfortunate because more companies are not like Apple in this particular respect."

It's the equivalent of saying, "It's unfortunate more cars don't get good gas mileage like the Prius."

There is no conspiracy to have everyone hate/love/buy/boycott apple/dell/microsoft/hp/creative.

If both sides think there is bias against them, I'd say that kinda cancels everything out and makes the original discussion pretty fair to begin with. Some of Cnet's audience seems to read through each and every posted article or review in an attempt to find anything that could potentially be perceived as having some sort of bias without any regard for the actual content. That's a bit silly.

[mcepat]

Apple doesn't let 3rd parties play the iPod game.

What rediculous advice

I don't know, works every time for me, be it printers, network cards, really anything, let windows handle it and throw software discs in the trash, most third party companies write software without any regards to windows and accounts for more then half of the issues out there, windows handles it alot better, best advice I give people.

and why Apple doesn't let 3rd parties play the iPod game. Because they will SCREW IT UP and confuse customers.

I am a little confused, so are you saying that its alright for Apple not to do it because 3rd parties will screw it up but for some reason Microsoft has to let them screw it up and confuse customers?

Apple has it very easy in this regard, they make the software and make the hardware and only have to worry about there drivers (thats it) so to say it just works in this very narrowed minded, propietary hardware eco system is very easy. If microsoft made there own hardware you know what evrything would work hardware related also, but this is not the case, Microsoft has always had to support thousands of devices unlike Apple which supports only Apple hardware, you tell me which is harder

[Luncheon Meat]

"If microsoft made there own hardware you know what evrything would work"

Microsoft makes the Zune hardware and software and judging from
reviews so far, it ain't no iPod/iTunes easy installation experience.

[jabbotts]

hm.. Microsft's included ATI video drivers or ATI's video drivers

hm... nope, I'm going with the third party on this one

[cellphonejunkie]

Last time I checked.....

Gee, the last time I checked, iTunes/iPod worked on Windoze and
had to contend with all that 3rd party hardware you were talking
about....

So I don't understand your pont.... Apple still has to contend with
all those myriad different drivers required to operate in the PC
world.... and they still do it better than Microsoft can on their own
OS (witness Zune software... 'Welcome to the social' - ly
challenged!)

[ss_Whiplash]

So True

I've had just about every type of gadget imaginable at one time or another and today I carry a plain cellphone that I use strictly to make phone calls (since that's all it really does efficiently), and my iPod nano.

The problem with today's devices is that they are designed to compete with other devices based on number of features per dollar. What we really need are simple, easy to use devices that truly enhance our lives. The iPod is the perfect example. It does a few important things VERY well, rather than trying to do a ton of things half heartedly.

[boyd087]

Of course there's bias

Of course there is bias in this article because it's a PERSPECTIVE article. It's the opinion of a report. It's not just reporting the facts. It also includes the opinion of the person writing the article therefore it will have bias. What part of that do you not get?

[CancerMan2]

I Should Have Bought A Dell

If Mr. Cooper is sorry he bought a Sansa, he should be thankful he did not buy an HP laptop like I did. What a piece of crap. Failing mouse button, screen at 1/2 brightness, cooing fan that sounds like a hairdryer, AC adapter that sparks when plugged in, DVDROM that does not play DVD/RW disks and is so noisy you can't hear anything else, random hardware exceptions, and now daily use of the hidden hardware reset button. My prayer is that Patricia Dunn is put in a prison cell with only an HP laptop for "entertainment". Better give her a service manual and soldering iron too.

Regarding bad product design, if companies want to develop products that regular folks can use out of the box, then they need to test them on senior citizens. Old folks, with slower reflexes and failing memories are the toughest customers. If they can reliably use a product, then everyone else is a piece of cake. I just bought my 77 year old, 2 stroke dad a Sony voice memo recorder. While not a completely foolproof design, my dad can by and large use it OK. The remote control for his new TV, that is a disaster. Some weird key combination locks out all control except for volume. Even the power off button does not work. I had to fiddle with the remote for 5 minutes, trying different things, to get it working again. Yuck.

[Macaresafer]

No, you should've boutht a Mac.

Dell still sticks you with Windows, which is responsible for most computer problems.

[jabbotts]

Sandisk lost me at Titanium Flashdrive with crapy chipboard

What a beutiful idea; wrap a flashdrive in a titanium case then make the usb plug slide into it. No extra pieces. Clean, Easy, scrathc resistant and takes 2000 pounds of pressure. What's not to like? - Cheap Chips.

Seems they blew the budget on the casing and stuffed the cheepest memory chips they could find in the thing. After the second warranty replacement blew up I took five minutes online to see what was happening.

10% of users (I'm being generous) loved there Sandisk product

90% of users had it fail in two to six weeks of purchase or replacement.

First your machine begins to recognize it intermittantly (if your lucky enough to get warning signs) then not at all; Data asta la vista.

(hey, that means "out the window" doesn't it?)

Trust me, a titanium wrapped flashdrive should be a no thought purchase for me. I'm loving my Panasonic Toughbook and I tried my hardest to love the Sandisk Titanium.

They've lost me though. I don't care if they've fixed the problem by re-issuing a newer version. I had a gig of personal data (files for school, budgeting spreadsheets and such) lost to the public domain twice; I'll not give Sandisk a third chance.

Maybe someday I'll try another Sandisk branded product but as it stands, I won't consider anything with Sandisk even close to the parts list.

I feel your pain and frustration. More vendors need to make Information Appliances like Apple designers do not this geakier-than-though brain teasers build with **** poor parts.

[elder99]

Compared to what?

Funny you should write about the Sandisk. I bought one last night. It took me longer to get it out of the package than to make it useful. The only problem I had with it was in the USB setting which didn't allow it to show up on my computer as a removable drive. Once that was solved (from the skimpy little manual), I was copying MP3s over via explorer.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've never had my hands on an iPod, so I had no preconceived notions about how it should work.

[Heebee Jeebies]

I find the...

Sansa players to be very good hardware wise. I also don't have any issues with the OS. What I have issues with is no documentation telling you how to use the thing and software that spends more time nagging you to setup an account and buy than helping you get your music on to the player.

I also found Sandisk less than helpful when it came to technical support. When I asked for example how one creates play lists I simply got no answer.

I finally said the hell with it and bought an Apple iPod. While here again the iPod hardware is very good, the iTunes software is a little lame. For example why do I have to switch to a special manual mode to delete or upload certain things? I shouldn't have to. iTunes should be smart enough to do both. If I delete a song or album from the iPod then it should sync it back on the next time. Also, the little icons they scatter all over the place are about as user friendly and a hungry shark.

So while both companies get high marks from me for hardware, they both get low marks for software. Sansa because what they include just sucks and Apple because they don't include the software. You have to go download it (I guess they assume that everyone has high speed internet access) and low marks because it isn't as intuitive and friendly as it should be. Which surprised me considering all of the Mac users that claim only Apple makes perfect user friendly software. I say bull poop!

Robert

[Callbird]

Understanding Expectations

Robert, I'm a little confused about what you expect from iTune's syncing. You said, "If I delete a song or album from the iPod then it should sync it back on the next time." Do you want iTunes to return the song or album to your iPod? That's what it sounds like, and it's what will happen the next time you sync that playlist. Why would you do that? If you want to delete from the iPod and have iTunes understand and leave it off the next sync, delete the material from your iTunes Library.

Regarding needing to download iTunes rather than Apple providing it in the package, this ensures that you have the latest version of iTunes. You will also be prompted to download any updates to your iPod software when you connect your iPod to iTunes.

I undestand the limitations of dial-up Internet, but another iPod user would complain of old, outdated software in the package if Apple included it.

Finally, just hold your mouse over the icons and watch for the label to show up. You'll catch on to them soon.

[fletchb]

agree

Ditto on the itunes comment. It needs to be a bit more intuitive and slightly less intrusive. There should be an easy way to disable autoplaying of songs. I pick a song, it plays, then it starts playing a podcast or some other random song. I never asked it to do this and find it intrusive. Apple support board was no help ether. On the other hand, the player works great and I did not have to edit any registry entries to get it all working like I might have to do for a MS product.

[Jim Hubbard]

I know what you mean....

After 21 years as a programmer on projects for large companies (Qwest, Bellsouth, Porsche), I left and started my own business.

I left because the managers and lead techs on software projects have no clue who they are programming for. Even the companies that write software for programmers have forgotten how to write a simple step-by-step wizard to walk users through what can be very complex tasks.

It seems we have lost track of what made Windows such a hit - simplicity.

Like...why do I have to install software BEFORE I plug in my new router or usb network adapter? Whatever happened to plug-n-play?

For a rant from a developers standpoint, you can read my response to Infragistc's latest offering at http://justwhydontpeoplegetit.blogspot.com/2006/11/hey-infragisticsrad-might-not-be-bad.html.

[stealt403]

what about a creative product? biased article

never understood the apple and ipod appeal. this article seems biased to me. its pretty funny that this charles cooper fellow, who is supposed to be tech savvy, can't figure out his mp3 player. but other posters on this site with the same player have no problem.

i hope charles cooper enjoys his kickback check (or maybe they pay cash?) from apple inc.

[grmells]

Even free can be a problem

Even when the item is free it can be a time waster. Target stores are offering a gift card that is a working MP3 player. (The catch is you have to put $50 on the card but you can then spend the money on yourself.) The unit has no display and lousy ear buds on a retracting cord but 64Mb of RAM. The problem comes from a mistake in the instructions printed on the packaging. It says to just move the switch to On and the LED would light. When this did not work I checked the battery, actually had the unit open to examine the connections and plugged it into my PC USB slot to make sure it wasn't dead before noticing the small folded instruction sheet. It says move the switch to on and then press the play button until the LED lights. Then it worked. But I have wonder how many people are going to be cursing Target Dec 25th.

[brjones]

If you run a Sansa - chill

Check out Rockbox, open source for your music! See Rockbox.org. Run Flac for music and Open Source rules!

[Too Old For IT]

My Wife Had Better Luck

My wife ought one of those looks-like-a-Nano MP# players from eBay. took one e-mail to answer her question about recharging, as she wasn't used to recharging through the USB port.

Other than that, she was up and running and downloading music to the device to get her through her morning power-walks in less time than it took to write this.

Plug it in, gee there is a new external drive, start copying MP3's. Lots of US manufacturers could take a lesson!

[KsprayDad]

Biggest problem ...

I think it is the expectation that EVERY dap should work exactly like an iPod does. If it doesn't you hear about how confused people get. I think that it is obvious that this reviewer WANTS this to work like an iPod because that is what he is comfortable with.

If you took a person that knew nothing about the iPod OR the Sansa I would say that their experience (including frustrations and buggy software) in getting things up and running would be VERY similar.

[mcamarena]

In a word - No.

I agree that on a Windows machine the experience would be similar. But when you compare that experience with an iPod/Mac setup, the iPod/Mac is a clear winner.