There are some things in life that are better in analog: watches and speedometers are two things that come to mind. The topic for today however is bathroom scales. With an analog scale, you get a sense of proportion - right on the dial - that seems to be missing from a digital scale. It may be a little less than this or a little more than that, but you can see your target weight and your actual weight both on the dial at the same time. It gives you a meaningful gauge of how far you are from your goal. Are you getting closer, or has your goal moved to the left ... almost out of view? On an analog scale, you can design the viewing window to display a twenty pound range; then when you see your target disappear from view, you know you are in trouble.
With a digital scale you don't get the same effect. People have started quoting their weight in half pound increments:
"So, how much do you weigh now?"
"So many and a half" is often the reply.
I'd like to say, "Really? Would you like to have a cup of water or use the bathroom so you can round that off?" Of course that would be rude, but you get the picture. Since digital scales have processors in them, they could be designed to display the information in a number of ways: rounded to the nearest whole number might be a good place to start ... or maybe the nearest 5. Maybe an analog sense of proportion would be useful like -2 or +7 or even "Within Range". Heck, maybe it should just say +, -, or OK.
Maybe your kitchen designer should place a strain gauge in the floor in front of the fridge linked to a biometric scanner and voice synthesizer. Then when you open the door it could say, "Good morning, there are some nice apples in the produce bin, but you may want to avoid the apple pie on the top shelf; you are way outside your specified range." Wouldn't that be a great way to start your day?
With a digital scale you don't get the same effect. People have started quoting their weight in half pound increments:
"So, how much do you weigh now?"
"So many and a half" is often the reply.
I'd like to say, "Really? Would you like to have a cup of water or use the bathroom so you can round that off?" Of course that would be rude, but you get the picture. Since digital scales have processors in them, they could be designed to display the information in a number of ways: rounded to the nearest whole number might be a good place to start ... or maybe the nearest 5. Maybe an analog sense of proportion would be useful like -2 or +7 or even "Within Range". Heck, maybe it should just say +, -, or OK.
Maybe your kitchen designer should place a strain gauge in the floor in front of the fridge linked to a biometric scanner and voice synthesizer. Then when you open the door it could say, "Good morning, there are some nice apples in the produce bin, but you may want to avoid the apple pie on the top shelf; you are way outside your specified range." Wouldn't that be a great way to start your day?
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