Combine 70 years of stubborn self-reliance with a male’s innate reluctance to read instructions written by illiterate wonks.
You end up with a recipe for electronic meltdown.
It’s all about a combined digital camera/camcorder, appointment calendar, music player, voice and text messenger called the wireless telephone.
Yeah, the same device that succeeded the cellular phone, that succeeded the touch-dial phone, that succeeded the rotary-dial phone.
It replaced a perfectly good tool that could be used 500 feet from its base station. Theoretically the new wireless phone can be used anywhere.
But first it has to be programmed with dozens of features: contact list, speed dial, ring tone, volumes, self-destruct code and phaser strength.
The instructions assume you have an advanced degree in electronic engineering or computer science: “Now use the keypad to enter the contact name.”
How? There’s no keypad listing in the index or advice on using the keypad to enter data.
Can you hear me now, Verizon? Shove this piece of crap where the sun don’t shine. (8 APRIL 2007)
