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in reply to poll ideas quest 2011

I can't imagine how I could ever live without an…

If you think there are too few options, you may add some of the following older appliances too. That's not likely though, you'd rather want to remove some of the options above instead.

What I include are household appliances, that is, stuff ordinary people can own at home. Thus, the automatic toilet flush didn't make the cut.

I'm deliberately leaving out all the innovations related to advanced consumer electronics such as: television, color television, cassette player, videocassette recorder, CD player, personal computer, home game computer, portable game computer, internet, perl, mobile phone, internet access at home, fast computer at home, computer with large hard disk at home, cd/dvd burner, fast internet access at home, portable audio cd player, cheap solid state storage, portable music player using solid state storage, digital camera, mobile internet, camera in mobile phone, cheap GPS, large television, large TFT monitor, wireless keyboard or mouse, notebook computer as powerful as a desktop, touchscreen mobile phone, uninterruptible power supply, facebook, twitter. Those could make another poll, but a less interesting one.

I'm also omitting stuff related to light sources, such as led bicycle torch, cheap rechargeable battery. See the related Re: poll ideas quest 2009 (light source).

Update 2015-07-10: added electrically adjustable table, electric can opener next to pencil sharpener, merged thermometer and blood pressure meter, demoted immersion heater to the extras. See also the other idea Re: poll ideas quest 2010 (Past sucks why) "If I moved to the Past, what I missed the most would be…"

  • Comment on Re: poll ideas quest 2011 (modern household appliances)

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Re^2: poll ideas quest 2011 (modern household appliences)
by thargas (Deacon) on Dec 06, 2011 at 19:35 UTC
    • electric seat adjusters in the car

      Hmm, maybe the car extras should separated (from the in-house appliances) to another poll, with items like this (this list is incomplete).

      I can't imagine how I could ever drive a car without…

      • Power-assisted brakes
      • ABS
      • Radio and cassette player
      • CD player
      • Power-assisted steering wheel
      • Airbags
      • Rear window heating
      • Air conditioning
      • A lamp in the trunk
      • Electrically adjustable mirrors
      • Electric windows
      • Mobile phone loudspeaker
      • Radio and mobile phone controls next to the steering wheel
      • Parking sensors
      • Electric seat adjuster
      • Parking cameras
      • GPS
      • Electronic cruise control system
        Auto-dimming rear-view mirror! Tinted windows!

        Glad you specified modern... My first five (count 'em) vehicles only managed the radio/cassette player from that list. Air conditioning was of the 4-60 variety (4-100 in metric units).

        (and we liked it)

Re^2: poll ideas quest 2011 (modern household appliences)
by CountZero (Bishop) on Dec 06, 2011 at 20:15 UTC
    What, no gas stove in the list? Really, I say!

    CountZero

    A program should be light and agile, its subroutines connected like a string of pearls. The spirit and intent of the program should be retained throughout. There should be neither too little or too much, neither needless loops nor useless variables, neither lack of structure nor overwhelming rigidity." - The Tao of Programming, 4.1 - Geoffrey James

      Sorry, but I considered the gas stove as something that has always existed, just like the gas water heaters, fridges, washing machines, cars, motorbikes, radio, television, electric chandeliers, etc. Maybe I'm too young. I admit I might also be inconsistent in what I consider as old and what as new.

        Oops, I think I just showed my age.

        CountZero

        A program should be light and agile, its subroutines connected like a string of pearls. The spirit and intent of the program should be retained throughout. There should be neither too little or too much, neither needless loops nor useless variables, neither lack of structure nor overwhelming rigidity." - The Tao of Programming, 4.1 - Geoffrey James

Re^2: poll ideas quest 2011 (modern household appliances)
by tobyink (Canon) on Dec 06, 2011 at 21:08 UTC
    • Hair iron no idea what this even is
    • Electric razor don't have one
    • Electric toothbrush don't have one
    • Electric pencil sharpener don't have one
    • Electric garage door don't have a garage, or a car
    • Electronic thermometer don't have one
    • Electronic blood pressure meter don't have one
    • Parking sensor don't have one
    • Electric clothes dryer don't have one
    • Electric kettle do have one, but could make do without... just use the stove
    • Immersion heater don't have one
    • Coffee machine don't have one
    • Dishwasher don't have one
    • Microwave oven don't have one
    • Bread maker don't have one
    • Electric griddle don't have one
    • Barbecue grill don't have one
    • Electric or induction stove don't have one
    • Electric oven do have one, but would prefer gas
    I think I could quite easily live without all the items on your list, and already do live without most of them. Fridge, freezer and washing machine I wouldn't want to do without though.
      Hair iron: no idea what this even is

      Used by girls to make their long hair wavy. Thus, most people won't ever use one, and some of those who do use it only at the hairdressers', so they don't own one at home.

      Electric oven do have one, but would prefer gas

      Some do, yes. Some prefer electric/induction because it's easier to clean.

        Some prefer electric/induction because it's easier to clean.
        To clean? I use it solely to prepare food, never tried to clean it :) (recently moved from a flat with a gas one to another with an electric one).