High Tech vs. Low

[Debi]

When I moved to the new house last year, my son asked me if I wanted appliances that were high tech or low tech...buttons and knobs vs. mini computers in things like the washer and dryer. I immediately voted for the old fashioned low tech items!
Why? Because I had been through 3 washing machines and 2 dryers in 6 years prior to that, all of which failed due to their high tech mini computer "smart" boards!
I had 3 fridges for the kitchen in 10 years vs. the old yellow beast in the garage that was 35 years old and still running!
So what has been your experience with the newer super-duper computer run smart appliances?
Or is it just me and my Slider abilities killing them?

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[Selectric]

More low tech the better. Try to stuff 10 pounds of crap in a 3 pound bag tends to muck up the works just a wee bit.

 

[Selectric]

When i bought my GMC, it was the most basic truck i could find. Perfect. I could tell the shortened version but, this is me here rofl. My buddy and i went to shoot some pool for my birthday and that was the first time i witnessed one of his seizures. Scared the hell out of me. We left and was heading back to take him home when a cop come up behind me with their lights on. Night keeps getting better, right? So, i pull over and as he walks up to my door, i wind the window down. He had the nerve to ask, manual windows?! I was like, really? You're really gonna break my stones over this? Needless to say, he let us go without incident probably because it was my birthday and i was still trying to wrap my head around my buddy falling on the floor earlier.

 

[Paulm]

we tried the high tech washing machine. nothing but problems for a whole year, finally said enough and went and found the most simplest one we could. i dont think i have any "smart" appliances besides the televisions and the wifes instapot, (which she cannot figure out how to use at all.... who thought a crockpot that takes a college degree in computer sciences was a good idea )...... have a garage fridge thats 25 years old along with the stand up freezer. house fridge is around 20 years old. and my truck is 23 years old. the van is 18 years old, it is loaded for the year it came out but isnt what id call high tech. it has seat warmers...lol....... wait, i do have smart light bulbs that i can tell alexa to turn off and on....lol

 

[7Critter]

I prefer low tech large and kitchen appliances. I don't need my toaster talking to my dishwasher talking to my stovetop. I don't need my fridge filling out my next grocery order ( with suggested only healthy foods ! )

 

[Stevedog]

This is a tough one for me. I have a real Love/Hate relationship with technology. It's a subject that I find both fascinating and terrifying.

I have had a number of friends over the years refer to me a "Futurist". In the movie Back to the Future 3 there is a scene where Doc Brown is living in 1885 and is telling the people what the future is going to look like and everyone just thinks he's had too much to drink. I've had many conversations with friends over the years that sounded a lot like Doc Browns crazy ramblings. I did predict a lot of things that have happened along with stuff happening right now; but it was never a prediction of "Here is the future I want" and more "This is what will happen no matter what we do or say."

So while I may be one of the first people to complain about new technology, I'm also one of the people embracing it. Maybe not the first person to embrace new technology but I'm definitely studying it, trying to understand it and getting used to the idea of using it. So if there is a computerized smart toaster that can be talk to the fridge and microwave; I don't need it, don't want it, don't like it, but will probably end up getting it anyway. If there's going to be a curve I'd rather be ahead of it than behind.

It's not all bad though. My washer, for example, spends a minute or two beeping and booping while it tries to figure out how much clothes I just put in it. Then depending on if it's the entire hamper or just an outfit I need clean for the morning it knows how much water and soap to use then tells me if the wash will be 20 minutes or 90. Last week I was driving to a meeting and my boss texted me that they had to move where it was being held. Without having to stop I just spoke out loud to my car, telling it to reroute my map and driving directions to the new location, then told it to text my boss back that I was 18 minutes away. I did need to look at the screen to confirm it had followed directions but my car was steering itself to stay in the lane and would automatically slow or brake if the car ahead of started slowing down or if someone cut me off.

 

[Ragnar0711]

Low tech

 

[ozentity]

Low tech but I did buy a new Bosch washing machine recently after using a twin tub all my life. So mostly low tech or even no tech for me. My box freezer recently passed over but I bought it at 21 so it had a good life, lol.

 

[garnetsilver]

I also have a love/hate relationship with technology. I appreciate some aspects of it but mostly recent being railroaded into using it.

As for appliances, I much prefer push buttons over slippery screens that you can mistakenly hit the wrong area. When we moved to our present home, we had recently bought a 'Smart' washer. Dumbest thing ever! It wouldn't fill up with enough water and clothes weren't getting clean. We had to learn how to fool it into thinking that there was a large amount of things, or else we had to wash everything twice. So, when we found that the previous owner had left behind a regular washer with an agitator, we were overjoyed. We sold the other washer.

And like Debi mentioned, being a Slider, I would eventually have wrecked that other washer. Even regular, electric appliances have a short life around me!

 

[SyStEm0v3r1dE]

As much as I like high tech stuff low tech has its charm I would love to still have my old AM/FM radio