Americans love their gadgets – they’re just not very good at figuring out how to use them.
USA Today looks at how manufacturers are trying to simplify electronics so Joe Pointandshoot can figure them out. The story notes:
“Half the products returned to stores are in good working order, but customers can’t figure out how they work, says a recent study conducted at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. On average, American consumers will try for just 20 minutes to get a new gadget to work before giving up, the study adds.”
That sounds like more user malfunction than device error to us.
The story goes on to say: “As a result, the world continues to be filled with poorly designed products, doomed to either gather dust in a bottom drawer or be returned to the store.”
Don’t blame the product, blame the user! Ooh, wait, we just sounded like Microsoft there
