UI Consistency
Tim Bray has been looking for a new car, and has come to a conclusion on the UI issue - i.e, whether it's easier to switch computers, or cars:
The computers are, by and large, an easier switch than the cars. Yes, the pedals and steering wheel and shifter are consistent, but getting the windshield wipers to do what you want is a research project on every car, as is setting the interior lighting and adjusting the audio for bass, treble, and so on, and a bunch of other minor functions that you need to do all the time. But cutting and pasting and moving files and editing text and browsing the web and reading mail and improving photos and so on, these days that’s all much of a muchness, whatever computer you’re sitting in front of.
I have to say that I agree. I'm not shopping for a new car, but I rent them on travel a fair bit. A decade ago, it took me less time to get out of the rental lot. Now, I always make sure to spend a few minutes locating things like the seat adjustment, the radio controls, the wipers, defroster... you get the picture. You might wonder about the radio, but in my experience, even those are harder to deal with than they used to be.
