Blinking lights rant

[dochall]

This is really starting to bug me. I'm really getting sick of pulling a pocket pc out that looks like a mini christmas tree. And it's going to get worse.

The new 6300 for example.

all quote taken from Mtekk site for ipaq 6300
Indicators
Power Button Charge and Notify indicators
Blinking green – notify;
Blinking amber – charging;
Solid amber – full charge


Okay it's nice to have a flashing reminder and flashing while charging is quite comforting.


LED 1 GSM/GPRS
Blinking green LED – radio ON with signal;
Blinking amber LED – radio ON without signal


Why not a solid green? That's how it will spend most of the time. I don't need the darn thing to flash to tell me it's GSM coverage. My phone doesn't.


LED 2 – Bluetooth
Blinking blue LED – radio ON


Well my ipaq spends most of it's time with bt on. I don't need to be reminded of it by a distracting blinking light. Solid fine just don't flash.


LED 3 – WLAN
Blinking green LED – radio ON with signal;
Blinking amber LED – radio ON without signal


Argh. why blinking if their is a signal present why not just a steady light.



Why do designers feels the need to make the darn thing flash during normal operation? Flashing makes me take notice, at least a steady light is more discrete. Flashing just says 'ooh look at me' I'm doing something important - no it bloody isn't it just working. I expect to just work.

My car doesn't flash at me unless something is wrong. I don't want to have the instrument panel distract me while driving. The concept of a flashing indicator to tell me I have enough fuel is ludricrous. If the ABS fails or the oil pressure falls through the floor I would quite like to know about it.

I built a glass fronted data centre because the client wanted to impress clients on the way past. This was so wrong in terms of secuity etc but that's they wanted. Unfortunately they were disappointed by the lack of flashing lights and didn't like my suggestion of hanging disco rope lights.

So please only flash if we need it. In fact let me configure the lights to do what I want.


Surely I can't b e the only one who this annoys?

[Deltrevan]

I guess I'm weird...but, I kind of like all the little flashing lights.

The more, the better!!! :D

[buckyg]

For some reason, on a PPC, it doesn't bug me for the wifi light to blink. I guess I am used to that. Flashing green says good but flashing orange says not good. The alarm light flashing, though, that does say "Attention" to me.

However, I recently got a different Wifi AP/Router and the fact that the WLAN light on it blinks just to show that it's working does bug the heck out of me. That's because all of the other lights on it blink to show activity. So at first it made me paranoid that someone else is tapping into my wifi.

[Robb Bates]

I'm sure it has something to do with power consumption. And LED can burn 20mA easily. That doesn't sound like alot, but with three LEDs on constantly, it's just that little extra bit of power drain that will reduce battery life. Making it blink with a 20% duty cycle would cut it down to 4mA each.

Robb

[KenClunk]

I feel your pain. I hate the blinking lights. On cell phones too. My old T68i always blinked. What the hell? There should be an option to turn them on and off somehow.

[Mitch D]

You ought to the see the big blue flashing light on top of my X3i whenever I am connected via WiFi. I don't dare turn it on outside for fear someone would think there was a cop car parked there.

On a more serious not I don't mind an indicator that shows I am connected but it doesn't need to come in the form of a flashing LED. There are enough indicators on the screen to tell me I am connected.

[Zack Mahdavi]

I agree.. an on-screen indicator is very useful, but the flashing lights are plain annoying.

HP, please get rid of the aggravating blinking lights!

[yslee]

Oh please, you should see the kinds of decorative blinking LEDs I have to put up with here. -_- Cell phones, computer cases and cars...

[Stephen Beesley]

Another vote against the flashing light syndrome! I like the way that the indicator light on my wifi card shows solid green when I am connected an flashes when I have no signal. Likewise the LED on my Jornada shows either solid red when it is charging or sold green when charged - only flashing when there is an alarm or as an inicator of somthing out of the ordinary.

Too many flashing lights are just too distracting for my taste.

[Janak Parekh]

Ed wrote up a great rant on this about a year ago (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3207).

--janak