5 ms·

For an elderly woman with poor eyesight, a fixed location landline that never needs updating or maintenance is probably preferred over an easily lost phone that

For an elderly woman with poor eyesight, a fixed location landline that never needs updating or maintenance is probably preferred over an easily lost phone that needs to get plugged in, updated, etc.

jkestner 11y ago
We're hungry for better design, and unfortunately technologically complex products are where the progress is being made. Case in point, Nest. So we take the bad with the good. But yeah, in this case, there are big-button landline phones with speed dial.
- scott_s 11y ago
  And yet, sisk's grandmother prefers this method. Even removing a small amount of friction can have big changes in how people behave with technology.
- sisk 11y ago
  True and I totally agree that the simplest solution is generally the best and that not ever "problem" needs a technologically complex solution. Nothing worse than entering a "smart home" and being told not to use the light switches[^1]. :) In this particular case, we've tried a big button phone. The problems with it are two fold: first, cataracts impact her straight forward vision and she's not able to remember button placement. Second, it's not uncommon for her to forget what she intended to do before getting there. The simple act of walking to the phone to initiate a call is enough time for her to forget who she wanted to call in the first place. At least in this case, she can act on the thought immediately and be reminded when she gets to the ringing phone. [^1]: full disclosure: I can toggle my lights with my Echo. I use z-wave light switches though so people that aren't nerds like me don't have to personify the appliances in my apartment.
icebraining 11y ago
As a grandson of two, nope. When one of them fell down, having a cellphone in her pocket allowed her to call for help, which she couldn't have otherwise. She still has a landline, but it has become an expensive decorative object.
- stronglikedan 11y ago
  > expensive I pay ~$0.50/day for the peace of mind that I can call the police from any major room in my house, whether or not my cell phone is near me, or even has a charged battery for that matter. Also, that emergency services would immediately know my address when calling from my landline, so I could do as little as just call and hang up to get them there in an emergency. There are many benefits to maintaining a landline, and (cheap) cost is one of them.
  - djrogers 11y ago
    >I pay ~$0.50/day for the peace of mind that I can call the police from any major room in my house, You know you can cancel your phone service and still call 911 in many states (including the most populous ones)?
    - stronglikedan 11y ago
      I did not know that, but I will certainly check into it. Thank you.
    - MrMullen 11y ago
      You can also do this with Cell phone that works. I don't even think the phone has to have a working SIM card in it to call 911.

For an elderly woman with poor eyesight, a fixed location landline that never needs updating or maintenance is probably preferred over an easily lost phone that needs to get plugged in, updated, etc.

jkestner 11y ago

We're hungry for better design, and unfortunately technologically complex products are where the progress is being made. Case in point, Nest. So we take the bad with the good. But yeah, in this case, there are big-button landline phones with speed dial.

scott_s 11y ago
And yet, sisk's grandmother prefers this method. Even removing a small amount of friction can have big changes in how people behave with technology.
sisk 11y ago
True and I totally agree that the simplest solution is generally the best and that not ever "problem" needs a technologically complex solution. Nothing worse than entering a "smart home" and being told not to use the light switches[^1]. :) In this particular case, we've tried a big button phone. The problems with it are two fold: first, cataracts impact her straight forward vision and she's not able to remember button placement. Second, it's not uncommon for her to forget what she intended to do before getting there. The simple act of walking to the phone to initiate a call is enough time for her to forget who she wanted to call in the first place. At least in this case, she can act on the thought immediately and be reminded when she gets to the ringing phone. [^1]: full disclosure: I can toggle my lights with my Echo. I use z-wave light switches though so people that aren't nerds like me don't have to personify the appliances in my apartment.

icebraining 11y ago

As a grandson of two, nope. When one of them fell down, having a cellphone in her pocket allowed her to call for help, which she couldn't have otherwise. She still has a landline, but it has become an expensive decorative object.

stronglikedan 11y ago
> expensive I pay ~$0.50/day for the peace of mind that I can call the police from any major room in my house, whether or not my cell phone is near me, or even has a charged battery for that matter. Also, that emergency services would immediately know my address when calling from my landline, so I could do as little as just call and hang up to get them there in an emergency. There are many benefits to maintaining a landline, and (cheap) cost is one of them.
- djrogers 11y ago
  >I pay ~$0.50/day for the peace of mind that I can call the police from any major room in my house, You know you can cancel your phone service and still call 911 in many states (including the most populous ones)?
  - stronglikedan 11y ago
    I did not know that, but I will certainly check into it. Thank you.
  - MrMullen 11y ago
    You can also do this with Cell phone that works. I don't even think the phone has to have a working SIM card in it to call 911.