News 50% of 'faulty' products baffle users

Read our forum posts, a lot of self-proclaimed "geeks" break their hardware in pretty stupid ways, like not bothering to turn the power off first, or have problems covered on p.2 of the manual.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10897104/from/RSS/

 

its soo true!! ive looked through the manual for MSDOS and its uber detailed wherease XP (although it has a "help centre") hasnt got much written documentation included although its much more complex...

maybe the companies expect the users to be able to navigate their product now.

 

I have noticed that way too many electronics, gadgets, and even most consumer products are lacking in proper documentation. It is no wonder why that study reflects a 50% user base is unable to come to the basic use of most products. However, I would assume that the percent reported is a little off. It was conducted by a student; and any marketing major can tell you that numbers and studies can be BENT to show whatever numbers they want. Of everyone I know, only one person I know stays away from electronics, but after a stroke, I don't blame her. Other than her, everyone else I know from grandparents to my construction working uncle can figure out the basic use of any gadget I throw at them.

 

Gross misinterpretation of statistics, there.

50% of the items returned were brought back due to the user not being able to figure them out. That doesn't mean that half of users can't figure out the click wheel.

hehe post 6969

 

It depends what type of products we're talking about. If its hardware that actually goes inside the computer, people who cant figure it out probably shouldn't be touching it in the first place. TBH, most software is pretty easy to install. The one harder time is when autorun fails... other than that, its just clicking the 'next' button. I also cant see the logic behind putting a rectangular plug inside a round hole... aren't all preschoolers made to play with those things where you have to match the shape with the hole?

Maybe my viewpoints are a little tainted as a person who has at least a moderate grasp of computers. But I really can't see how some of these people manage to screw up in the ways they do. Some of these mistakes defy even the most basic logic (isnt it just natrual to think that a thin, round disk goes in a thin, round tray...? Anything that doesn't involve opening the case is pretty simple, tbh. THe only people who should open cases are those who know what they're doing. Although computers aren't as logical for some people...

And the problem with maunals is that nobody ever reads them. ever. I'll admiit that I dont ever refer to a manual when Ive got problems. Although it is a viscious cycle. People dont use manuals, so they become crap, so even less people use them, so they become more crap, etc. etc. etc.

 

everything now comes with dinky little instuction booklets. Nothing ever comes with anything substantial. Im the tech guy for my entire neighborhood consisting of a lot of older people. Its not their fault they have such a hard time with electronics. Mainly it is the fact that they did not grow up with electronics and it is still new to them.

As for younger people who return products since they cant get them to work, they are just ignorant.

 

Doesn't suprise me at all, I work for an IT distributer, and the amount of kit we have comes back that is fine is shocking. Seems to be especially a problem on contracts we have with ISPs that sell wireless kit. The average joe home user seems fine with bog standard USB modems, but stick a wireless modem/router in front of them, even with what seems like simple instructions, and they can't work it.

 

People are not stupid, they just expect something new to work exactly like the old ones did. The fault is on product designers that fail to realize this. This applies to everything that comes out, not only computer-related.

KISS

 

It is sad to realise that no matter how simple or user freindly we make an object the weakest link will always be the chair to keyboard interface.

My gf works for 1st line tech support for kpn telecoms in the Netherlads so I gettold all sorts of strange and wonderful tales of the stupidity of the all too average user.

 

QFT!

people are stupid, didnt you know?

 

Many people here are only talking about older of middle-aged users but TBH not many of my friends (I'm 16) have a clue about anything more complex than an mp3 player. A guy who lives down my road is about one the most tech savvy friends I have and he thinks having a 3d accelerator is cutting edge. When he said he'd just got a kick-ass new graphics card I was of course curious as to what he had purchased. He didn't know what it was called but seemed to think that £70 was a lot to pay for a gfx card.

Another recently got a computer off ebay and we were discussing computers and how to increase performance. We talked for a while about windows tweaking and software level stuff and I mentioned my OCed 3200. He was shocked when I said this (to give him credit he was the only friend who already knew what OCing was) because He thought that doing so would decrease the life of your systems to a few weeks.

Now those are pretty extreme examples and I never expected them to know what goes on inside a computer but I'm often having to explain how to install games or use a USB pen. I'm in pretty much constant demand which is scary considering how simple a device such as a USB mouse is. (I had to show someone that it would work out of a USB socket rather than the ps2)

 

That is one of the funniest and sadly most true posts I have read.

In defense of XP, there are several attempts from MS to create troubleshooting wizards, I have nightmares about the troubleshooting wizard. . .

Just took a very brief tour of the help and support wizard, it actually looks decent. I think the problem is deffinately an issue of RTFM.

On the other hand, the help and support wizard is essentially garbage because it teaches users all their problems can be solved by using another wizard on the PC, and that does nothing to help users with problems with software not developed by software. Eh, if MS had their way, there would be no non-MS software on a PC.

L J