The iPhone, Feature Creep, and Healthy Homes

Posted on | May 23, 2007 | Comments Off on The iPhone, Feature Creep, and Healthy Homes

Here’s a startling fact. According to a study by Philips Electronics, product returns in the U.S. cost $100 billion dollars a year; and over half of those products returned have nothing wrong with them. Why are they returned? In at least half of the cases, the customers either can’t get them to work or find them too hard to work.

How did products get so complicated? The phenomenon is called “feature creep” — engineers and marketers put a lot of stuff in the gadgets, because they can, and extra features differentiate their products and help them sell. But here’s the rub. Studies show most Americans, given the choice, will purchase products that have more features, but, at the end of the day, will prefer items that are easier to operate.

Now, I’m one of those guys that likes simple technology. In fact, when I pull out my simple old Nokia portable phone (without Bluetooth, without camera, without razor-thinness and without flip-top) you would think by the way people react that I was using the 1950 rotary dial phone of my youth. But I find simple is better.

That’s why I’m looking forward to the iPhone, which James Surowiecki describes in the May 28 New Yorker as “a device with a remarkable range of features, coupled with an uncluttered touch-screen interface.”

Following the success of the iPod, I’m sure simplicity will sell. As for re-engineering the home for health and aging in place, technology interfaces and simplicity will rule, and don’t be surprised if Apple is in the middle of it.