Speaking of AOL, I’m always amazed at how large companies don’t really have to react that fast to threats from better technologies, products or services. In fact in some cases the worst technology actually wins. Email me if you have any suggestions of examples of ‘non-design classics’ that are still around.
Here’s a start:
1. PC Laptops – is it my imagination or, other than Apple, is laptop design actually going backwards?
2. Windows – the original Apple Os was more elegant. We are stuck with impossible uninstalls and no full-text search.
3. Office – I have to fork out $200 just so that I can add comments to other people’s Word files -and Powerpoint – aaargh – the greatest crime in design history, a substandard piece of shareware that pollutes the world with blue blends and horrible fonts.
4. AOL – how did a nasty dial-up service to a walled garden network with ‘get rich quick’ style branding manage not only to survive the Web but acquire a decent media conglomerate?
5. Cadillac – every Cadillac since 1970 looks like a refridgerator on wheels, with a similarly plastic interior and an engine with no engineering finess.
6. VHS – OK DVD’s are finally getting rid of this monster that killed Betamax for the consumer market.
7. Cell phone interfaces. OK, you can get a tricked out Java cellphone with a million added widgets, particulalry if you live in Europe or the Far East, but why can’t you do simple things like store your address book at the provider end – so that you can move to a new phone (on the same network).
8. Stamps – why don’t some mail boxes have franking machines (this personal annoyance is somewhat overcome in the US where you can actually get stamps out of an ATM).
9. Checks – they shouldn’t exist unless the bank personally transcribes all the details into account statements so you can see what the hell has been going on with your money.
10. Retail banks – In a parallel universe, I wish that Paypal had brought them all to their knees.