Less is More

A doctor was telling me today about his recently purchased PC that he's returning to the store due to technical problems. He complained that he had spent days uninstalling all the junk software thrown on by the manufacturer, and now he'd have to do this again when he exchanges his PC for another brand. Computers have become billboards for dozens of software companies to try and sell their products and subscriptions. Boot any computer today and it pops up with all manner of offerings. Don't these companies get it? All we want is basic functionality so we can get on with our work. Since this is so hard to come by, here's a suggestion for PC manufacturers - sell the junk-laden PC's if you insist, but give us the option to pay an extra $50 to have a simpler version without all the "features". We'd gladly pay more for less. Apple is famous for its iPod design which provides simplicity and functionality at the same time. We've focused on the same thing - give doctors all the features they need in a stethoscope, and NOTHING ELSE. In this technological age, features are easy, complicated is easy, unnecessary is easy. The best designs are those that resist all these temptations and keep things simple. As Apple has shown, simple is worth paying for.