Black and Decker 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Hey Everyone,

For my final Usability Blog I have decided to take a look at my Black and Decker 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker. I have had this coffee maker for about 2 years now. It retails at $34.99. My former roommate purchased it while in University from Canadian Tire in Waterloo Ontario. He ended up leaving it to me when he got news of his ill grandmother and moved home to Sault Ste. Marie to be with his family. I guess you could say this particular coffee maker has some sentimental value for me as well. Lots of fond memories making coffee together and chatting our stress away.
   

From Black and Decker's Website

I don't tend to leave this coffee maker plugged in when I'm not brewing a pot. There is a functioning clock on the front side as you can see in the picture. If I didn't already have a clock on my microwave, I might consider leaving it plugged in for that reason. What's great about the clock, is that it is also programmable as a timer to start brewing automatically at a set time. For instance, when I was working early mornings in the Fall, I would put a filter in with coffee and measure out about 6 cups. It made it nice and easy for me in the morning when I was barely conscious and stumbling around getting ready for work in the dark. 6 Cups gave me enough for a mug with my eggs and toast as well as a full travel mug for the road. The interface for programming is simple and intuitive, anyone could figure it out without instructions. Its essentially a coffee alarm clock.      

Dimension	Definition
Effective	Serves its purpose and has some nice additional features that makes it a bit  better than other makers on the market.
Efficient	Brews a full 12 cups in about 10-15 minutes, easy to clean.
Engaging	Sleek and attractive design. Not an eye sore for your counter top.
Error Tolerant	Because it is an electronic interface, I would assume that once the clock stops  working it would be time for a new coffee maker. I do not have warranty  information because I was not the one who purchased it.
Easy to Learn	Intuitive interface, basic coffee maker otherwise.

Insignia 2.0 Computer Speakers

Hey Everyone,

Today I am going to review some computer speakers from Future Shop as shown below. They cost $34.99 (however I worked there at the time so they cost me only $19.98). You can check them out online by clicking the on the link in the caption.

Insignia 2.0 Computer Speakers (NS-PCS40-C) Black

These are not high end speakers by any means, but they are much better quality than cheaper models and they do the trick for watching TV shows, sports, and listening to music. They have a good clean crisp sound that can fill some space if cranked up a bit.

Dimension	Definition
Effective	Perfect for desktop computing, and comes with a headphone jack (and an alternative AUX jack) for easy access. Power and volume controls make for effective controls.
Efficient	Acts efficiently delivering high quality sound for a smaller smaller space. Also cost efficient and doesn't require a great deal of power.
Engaging	Simple and attractive design.
Error Tolerant	I have yet to encounter an error with the speakers, but for the most part when a speaker goes it is because it has been popped or the wiring becomes faulty from poor connections.
Easy to Learn	Plug and play, gives another headphone jack to replace the slot on your computer/motherboard.

     

Sunbeam Ceramic Heater

Hey Everyone,

For my second usability blog I thought I would go ahead and give Blogger a try. It's pretty easy and intuitive to use. There is also the option of designing the content through a nice basic "Word like" user interface, or doing it HTML style.

Sunbeam Ceramic Space-Heater

Anyways, I have decided to review the Sunbeam Ceramic Space-Heater. My girlfriend and I purchased this product from Canadian Tire at the beginning of the winter season for our current apartment. The main reason was that our bedroom has two outside walls, thus we feared it would get very cold for the winter months. Much to our surprise we have barely used this product. We rent a condo that has a lot of older individuals that like to crank their heat right up. In fact we have yet to even turn our thermostat on and it is warm enough for a t-shirt. Since I have had limited experience with the product, I can't speak to highly of it, or vice-versa.

We did use a few times when it first got colder this year, perhaps for a week or so. It is compact, simple design, and very usable. The controls consist of a power button (on/off) and a mode button that controls the temperature selection. When the device is turned on, there is a red indicator light that shows you what setting is currently being run on the device. In terms of heating capability, it is perfect for a smaller room that is in need of auxiliary heating. It comes with an oscillating feature, but can also be faced in a single direction (which could be useful for frozen pipes, or other emergency situations required heat concentration). Overall, I am pleased with the product and even though it is not getting the use I anticipated it would this year, I am sure it will come in handy in the future.

Dimension	Definition
Effective	Heats smaller rooms effectively, quickly brings the temperature to a comfortable level.
Efficient	Once desired temperature is reached, the device automatically shuts off and senses when heat needs to be added to maintain the desired temperature
Engaging	Nice user interface, but not excatly an exciting design. Compact and out of the way.
Error Tolerant	Like most sunbeam products, cost efficiency is the primary concern. Not worth repair in case of error.
Easy to Learn	Very easy to use and control.