This Is Broken - Laser pointer case

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May 18, 2006 12:03 AM

Alex Pavloff writes in:

This is a combo laser pointer/powerpoint controller, so you can stand up, do your presentation, go forward and back remotely (via RF), as well as use the laser pointer.

It was a freebie, and is pretty cheap.

However, the case is poorly constructed. There is fabric that holds the device in place. When the pointer is placed in the case with the clip up, the fabric fits snugly over the laser button, resulting in the laser staying on until the battery goes dead.

Good thing I had 2 of these, otherwise, the controller would have been dead by the time I arrived at my next presentation.

Posted in Product Design

Comments:

first one. YA lol

You get what you paid for even though it's BROKEN

Posted by: R&R at May 18, 2006 12:23 AM

When I worked drive-thru at a nationwide fast food restaurant, we used headsets manufactured by 3M. They worked fine, except the button to turn off power to the device was directly against your skull. Even this wouldn't be too bad- but the button used to activate the microphone so the people outside could hear you was on the directly opposite the casing. This meant that, every so often, when you'd go to say "Welcome to McDonald's, may I take your order, please?" the device would emit a very loud beeping noise into your ear and cut off the power. When you turned it back on, the customer had already finished the first part of their order, and you had to ask them to repeat it. As if fast food isn't bad enough...

The point is, manufacturers don't think very hard about where they put their on/off switches. It's rather annoying. An extra-special broken for lack of field-testing.

Posted by: =David at May 18, 2006 01:48 AM

I guess you get what you pay for...

Posted by: Horatio at May 18, 2006 02:40 AM

i think they should invent a new research and development department called button placement

Posted by: ()_() at May 18, 2006 06:04 AM

About twelve years ago, I worked in the Albany, NY wire transfer room of a major national bank (name withheld to protect the guilty). To transfer funds, we would ask the customer a bunch of questions for both routing and security. When done, we would hit the F1 key on our terminals to send the transaction.

If the customer needed to cancel the transaction, though, then we would hit the F2 key.

The key spacng queue that is present on a PC keyboard was absent on these terminals, as there was no space between Esc and F1 (the terminal manufacturer thought it more useful to pack 16 F-keys into the top row).

Do you see the problem? I have no idea how many times I had to explain that the send and clear keys were right next to each other and would the customer mind repeating their order from scratch?

Posted by: Glenn Lasher at May 18, 2006 06:48 AM

Just because something is a freebee doesn't mean it should be cheap.

"Freebees" are often a promotional product by a company who want you to think of their company and products whenever you use their gift. Therefore, if what they give is cheap and doesn't work then the product either gets thrown out or the person to whom it was given may come to associate the company which provided the freebee with shoddy workmanship and go to a competitor.

This is broken from the point of view of the user and the company that provided the freebee.

Posted by: Sean P at May 18, 2006 11:41 AM

"and you had to ask them to repeat it"

Happens every time I go through the drive-thru. Now I know why...I just thought they were stupid.

Posted by: JAC at May 18, 2006 12:02 PM

Good point Sean. If you're trying to win favor from someone, why give them something that they're going to find fault with?

Posted by: Pat at May 18, 2006 01:47 PM

Is there no other way to orient the laser pointer in the case?

Posted by: Fuzzy at May 18, 2006 02:37 PM

I remember I had a dog once, and everytime we gave him leftover mexican food, he would crap all over the house. As if this isn't bad enough, when made his mess at night we might accidentally step in it. So we had to have a flashlight handy just in case we got up at night, you know, so we can see if the floor was clear. Anyway, the flashlight had an on-off switch that always seemed to get jammed and sometimes didnt work right. To top it all off, the light switch on the wall was right next to the dogs 'favorite spot' so it is risky to use the wall switch. We had to let the dog sleep outside at night after that. So, um, what was the topic again?

Posted by: Emily. Lattella at May 18, 2006 03:45 PM

Uh, turn the thing around. It's not rocket science.

Posted by: Julie at May 18, 2006 04:21 PM

It is broken, but fixable. Perhaps putting the clip inside the holder (as you have done with the remote) rather than clipping the laser pointer to the holder the button would not be depressed. I would probably not use the case since it seems to be somewhat bulky.

I also noticed that the "Continue reading 'Laser pointer case'" link does not seem to do anything. Is there a premium version of This Is Broken with more content?

Posted by: eBob at May 18, 2006 04:54 PM

You get what you pay for...so, wasn't that a freebie? You might as well have bought a tire rim that isn't round, with the actual tire having a slit down the middle when it's a really bumpy tire. Just remember...freebies=total bull-****, unless you work there or SOMETHING.

Posted by: Another guy named Alex B. at May 18, 2006 05:47 PM

Remove batteries from laser pointer. Put batteries in pocket. Put laser pointer in case. Go to class or motivational speaking engagement. Remove laser pointer from case. Remove batteries from pocket. Place batteries in laser pointer.

Was it too difficult to put those instruction on a sticker on the laser pointer?

Posted by: Capt. Wafer at May 18, 2006 08:05 PM

I bought something like that for a Sci project on Motion Sensers, i know exactly what this guy is felling

Posted by: T.A.E. at May 18, 2006 10:42 PM

The pointer would have been activated regardless of how it was placed in the carrier. Only a few directions would not have placed pressure on the switch to activate the pointer.

Oh, for you know-it-alls... the person who designs the pointer in NOT necessarily the person who designs the carrying case. The person designing the case doesn't have the same knowlege at the person designing the pointer!

Posted by: me at May 18, 2006 10:44 PM

Continuing to feed your dog mexican food after he already crapped all over the house from it is broken.

Posted by: Tug at May 19, 2006 09:40 AM

Feeding a dog mexican food at all is broken.

Posted by: me at May 19, 2006 04:00 PM

Oh! That's a thought. Thanks Tug.

Nevermind then.

Posted by: Emily. Lattella at May 19, 2006 04:04 PM

Sex.

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