One For All Universal Replacement Remote User Manual Critique Essay Example
User Manual Critique
ENG/221
So many people depend on some form of media to escape the everyday grind, stay informed, or simply to relax. Media comes in many forms, such as film, radio, internet, and text. Consumers all over the world fill their homes with these many forms of media. In fact, as of May, 2011, consumers worldwide spent over $4.2 billion dollars on home entertainment, and that figure is down from the previous year by 9.8% (Dan, 2011). That is not $4.2 billion spent a year -- that is $4.2 billion spent during the first quarter alone. With all of those media devises in all those homes, it can be a hassle keeping track of all those remote controls. After all, everything comes with a remote control these days. Many have tried to organize the handful of remotes that are in their possession by labeling them, keeping them in a designated drawer or basket, or even gone as far as “Velcroing” them to the wall. However, there is a better method to the madness that requires a little less creativity, but more ingenuity. It is a great little solution known as the universal remote. In most cases, you can put up to four devices onto one remote, eliminating the frustrating remote control cluster that many people deal with, and they can cost as little as $4 and up to more than $100. It all depends on your needs and budget. In this user manual critique, the item reviewed is the One For All Universal Replacement Remote®. It is a handy remote and, with the large, easy-to-see buttons, many would assume that it is user friendly. As in many cases, especially with universal remotes, looks may be deceiving. Universal remotes can be very helpful indeed; however, they have a mischievous reputation for being difficult to set-up, configure, and sometimes operate efficiently. Then, once you succeed with the set-up, and have all your devices on that one remote, and pat yourself on the back, you accidentally push the wrong button and erase the remote’s
ENG/221
So many people depend on some form of media to escape the everyday grind, stay informed, or simply to relax. Media comes in many forms, such as film, radio, internet, and text. Consumers all over the world fill their homes with these many forms of media. In fact, as of May, 2011, consumers worldwide spent over $4.2 billion dollars on home entertainment, and that figure is down from the previous year by 9.8% (Dan, 2011). That is not $4.2 billion spent a year -- that is $4.2 billion spent during the first quarter alone. With all of those media devises in all those homes, it can be a hassle keeping track of all those remote controls. After all, everything comes with a remote control these days. Many have tried to organize the handful of remotes that are in their possession by labeling them, keeping them in a designated drawer or basket, or even gone as far as “Velcroing” them to the wall. However, there is a better method to the madness that requires a little less creativity, but more ingenuity. It is a great little solution known as the universal remote. In most cases, you can put up to four devices onto one remote, eliminating the frustrating remote control cluster that many people deal with, and they can cost as little as $4 and up to more than $100. It all depends on your needs and budget. In this user manual critique, the item reviewed is the One For All Universal Replacement Remote®. It is a handy remote and, with the large, easy-to-see buttons, many would assume that it is user friendly. As in many cases, especially with universal remotes, looks may be deceiving. Universal remotes can be very helpful indeed; however, they have a mischievous reputation for being difficult to set-up, configure, and sometimes operate efficiently. Then, once you succeed with the set-up, and have all your devices on that one remote, and pat yourself on the back, you accidentally push the wrong button and erase the remote’s