Cell Phones and their Usability

Equipment, gadgets, and systems in general have become much more sophisticated. Functionality has increased at the expense of added complexity which in turn has resulted in steeper learning curves. In the YouTube video we watched during Institute week, David Pogue mentioned a company (I think it was Palm) that employed a “tap counter” to ensure that no task required more than three taps. I think Palm Pilots are in most part a thing of the past. Simplicity still sells but there are so many more three tap sequences to remember. Even the much acclaimed iPod has a considerable learning curve if all of its functionality is to be mastered. On the most part, I think most of today’s cell phones are quite intuitive in their design. Maybe they do have a lot of add-ons that we don’t necessarily need. On the other hand, perhaps if we tried to learn to use them they may prove quite convenient. I know I just replaced my Motorola Razor (which I never used for anything but voice) with a Blackberry. It took me a couple of hours to set up but now I cannot let it go. All my emails (nova included), internet, GPS, text (who needs voice anyway) are built into this little device. I even watched the inauguration live on Sprint TV while working at my desk.