What can we learn from our favorite technologies? Mon 18 Jun 07

The other day I over heard someone talking about Tivo, the digital recording device that allow you to easily record your favorite TV shows.  They excitedly proclaimed how much they liked it.  It was easy to use and allowed them to watch their favorite TV shows whenever they wanted.

That got me thinking about what were my favorite technologies.  The ones that I really think work great and appreciate the thought that went into their design.  The ones that really help me accomplish what I set out to do.  Two came immediately to mind.

The first is the Hertz NeverLost system.  This is the GPS navigation system available in Hertz rental cars.  There are a lot of GPS navigation systems available and admittedly I have not tried them all but for me the NeverLost system is the standard I'd judge all others against.  I love it.  It is easy to use.  The graphics are simple and easy to follow and the the directions are timely and accurate.  What more could you ask for?

A few years ago I rented a car from Avis and got there system.  It was horrible.  It use a Nextel cell phone and the screen was hard to read the audio was garbled.  Looking at there web site it looks like they've changed systems but I don't know how there current system compares.

My second favorite technology is TurboTax.  This is not to say I enjoy doing my taxes but TurboTax does make it quite a bit easier.  I especially like that I don't have to re-do the entire form just because another 1099 came in the mail.  Just enter it and it automatically recalculates.  They walk you through the process by asking you questions, fill out all the necessary forms and flat out make it very simple.  They did have a problem with transmitting returns to the IRS last year under the crush of last minute filers but that is the only problem of any significance that I've heard about.

In thinking about these there are 3 basic characteristics that make certain technologies our favorites.

1. The underlying technology is sound.  It works like it should.  I won't say it is absolutely perfect but when you use it you feel confident it works as it should.  They've worked out the bugs and build a reliable product you can depend on.
2. It is purpose specific.  These technologies do one thing and they do it well.  TurboTax doesn't manage my stock portfolio or balance my checkbook.  It simply does my taxes.  NeverLost doesn't let me browse the web or play music for me.  It simple gives me clear and precise directions.  They haven't confused their main purpose by trying to add-on features I don't want.
3. It is user friendly.  This may be the most significant feature.  They understand the importance of the user interface. They've done their homework and made it easy for me to use.  There are a lot of competitors out there where the underlying technology is just as sound and are as purpose specific but they aren't easier to use.  The developers of favorite technologies understand that if you don'e make it easy to use people won't use it no matter how well it works.

What technologies are your favorites?  What is it that makes them your favorite?

"So Lost . . ." photo by magusita

If this topic was of interest, you might also like these:

• Week 3, Thing 7 (My favorite technology, atleast for THIS week lol) on PiratePrincess's blog
• my favorite technology (for this week) on Maggie Learns blog
• Realizing the Impact of Technology
• Or the posts in the "Technology" category