Tierra Lab
Not Apples to Apples
A few weeks ago I needed a kitchen timer. Loathe to over cook yet another dish, I went to Williams-Sonoma on my lunch break confident there would be ample selection. What I wanted was the basic, simple timer. You know the one – turn it, it ticks and when the timer runs down it buzzes. To my shock Williams-Sonoma only had one model – the iTimer.
Well, that’s not its official name. I made it up and I’m certain you can see why. Standing in the store staring down at the timer all I could think was, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I put the timer back on the shelf and looked for something a bit more basic. After an exhaustive search, I was forced back to the iTimer. I caved in and bought it deciding that a properly cooked meal was worth braving this bizarre technological hybrid. Plus I knew the blatant design rip-off would bother my husband and that might lead to some good jokes.
When it comes to interface usability, there is a vast difference between the iPod and the iTimer. Although visually they are nearly identical, functionally they are worlds apart. As everyone knows the dial at the front of the iPod lets users cycle through their digital media collections. Technically the iTimer also has a “dial” but it does not cycle or turn in anyway. Instead there are 4 buttons at the north, south, east and west points of the dial. To activate the timer you must first hit the clear the button, then hit one of the directional buttons, then set the time (don’t ask me how). And the real advantage…you can set up to 3 different timers at once. As if I’ve ever wanted to do that.
To this day neither my husband nor I know how to work it properly despite reading the manual. Luckily, I hear Anthropology makes an old fashioned turn, tick, buzz timer….I’m headed there now.
2 Responses to “Not Apples to Apples”
Leave a Reply
Copyright © 2012 Tierra Innovation, Inc.
| 
RSS | Client Login
Flickr Feed
Recent Comments
Archives
- July 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- April 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
May 19th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I have the one from Anthropologie–it’s great! Old fashioned, cute (mine’s yellow) and works well (I am in fact using it right now). It is magnetic, so I keep it on my (steel) door….and it’s yellow. I think the iTimer is terrible looking and it sounds like a pain.
June 13th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I came across this ridiculous iPod lookalike PC case, and it made me think of your iTimer – ha!
http://techrepublic.com.com/2346-10878_11-4501.html
Who wouldn’t want their tower to look like a giant iPod?