Simple Tools, Powerful Results

I second my wife's comments. I loved my old StarTac. Simple and elegant, it did the things I needed it to do, and did them well.

Many companies fail to appreciate the "less is more" rule when it comes to product design. I work in the software industry, which is perhaps more guilty of loading additional, marginal features into its products than any other. In fact it's such a common sin, Google is able to generate an amazing amount of press coverage by the mere fact it features less than 50 words on its homepage.

What the designers of Google and of the iPod understand is that their products are tools.

When we think of a tool, we think of a device that help us gain a mechanical or mental advantage in solving a problem. Use of a tool is a deliberate act; we select a tool appropriate for a given situation and apply it. The best tools are therefore ones that are obviously suited to a particular task and whoose performance can be predicted.

Most software and many electronic gadgets fail this test miserably.