I purposefully buy my appliances as 'dumb' as possible. The only thing I own that needs to be 'smart' is my computer, and I have complete control over its operating system.
Lots of vendors make their “dumb” stuff unequivocally worse than the smart stuff, but just not using the “smart”.
I think the worst part right now is over-complicated circuits to provide like button presses and stuff, then charging $400 when a small part of that circuit inevitably dies so you are forced to take your range to the metal reclaimers and get a new one.
If you dont, your tax will be to be a victim of the companies profit stratergy of planned obselesance. My dyson for instance was perfectly fine, just a peice of plastic in the handle that required you to dissassemble the whole machine was cracked. It was literly a free fix with some plastic welding a screwdriver.
PS. You can buy universal kits that will control a washer or a dryer these days in a low tech way amoung many other devices we use daily. When your smart appliance fails, you can retrofit them.
PSS. Your software/hacker spirit should not be limited to a text editor!
You have calculated cost of learning? For me apart from very basic things like oil/water change, Learning anything else would have ROI over decades if not more.
But no control over BIOS, firmware for over 10 devices (wifi, bluetooth, camera, SSD, touchpad, and so on), a full hidden OS running on the CPU, etc.
Every USB device has their own code running on them.
Even laptop batteries have a microcontroller that's running something totally inaccessible to you.
While you can control the OS it's running, it's not really your computer.
I’m running a custom bios on my laptop that lets me tune whatever I want. It’s literally just code, like anything else.
Look, I don’t think you know how this works. You actually have intimate control over a computer’s hardware, software, and firmware. I don’t know why you think otherwise.
It seems to have a mind of its own for a lot of stuff I with I had more control over
[1] my personal conspiracy theory is they manufacture these defects on purpose to scare you into buying expensive warranties and slowly nudge you to buy a new fridge in 6 years.
[1]: https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/washers/front-loa...
[1]: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/washers-dryers/washers-washing-...
If you follow the specs on that model - you'll see a, "Wireless Connectivity: Wi-Fi"
If you go to the product page on Samsung.com (https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/washers/front-loa...)
"Smart Care - Easy troubleshooting from the convenience of your smartphone.* Smart Care interacts with your washer and dryer to perform an immediate diagnosis and offer quick solutions."
"* Requires Samsung Smart Washer/Dryer App. The Samsung Smart Washer/Dryer App supports Android OS 2.3.6 or later and iOS 3 or later for iPhone models. Samsung Smart Washer/Dryer App available in App Store and Play Store."
Still, a bit further down the results this LG definitely does: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/6419621.p?skuId=6419621
first link i hit -- price was €3.552,56 Incl. BTW
meanwhile the local best buy is selling one on sale for $95 CAD. i'm all for simpler, knobs, etc., but that's a non-starter, and if i'm dropping $2000 on an appliance its going to be an espresso machine
> Easy troubleshooting from the convenience of your smartphone.
You're going to argue it doesn't have network connectivity and circuitry?
Wi-Fi Connectivity: Yes
* Touchscreen or app control
* Notifies me thru the app when a wash/dry is complete (my appliance is in a utility room, so this is really useful)
* Predicts when it will finish (and showing the time and which stage it’s on in the app)
* Monitors its own progress and will inform me if it needs more time (like if the drying needs longer due to increased load size)
* Allows pausing a wash so other items can be added
* Has detergent dispensers that are monitored and lets me know when they’re low. It also works out the right amount of detergent to use based on size of load and other info you give it (see next item)
* Has a ‘washing assistant’ which is like an ‘install wizard’ where I select the types of clothing in the drum, its level of soiling, whether I want it dried or not, and various other features - it takes all that and works out the correct programme for the items (I can do this from my phone too - which is actually more useful than it sounds!).
* When the cycle is complete and it’s waiting for you to empty it, it goes into a ‘slow turn’ mode, where it just turns the clothing over every 5 seconds or so to stop creasing.
* Notifies me when I should run the maintenance cycles to keep the machine clean
* Notifies me when it needs a software update, which I can manage from my phone.
Do you need all these things? Of course not, and I thought I’d never go for a smart appliance, but I am absolutely a convert.
[1] https://www.miele.co.uk/product/11576550/wt1-washer-dryer-wt...
Touchscreen or app control
Notifies me thru the app when a wash/dry is complete (my appliance is in a utility room, so this is really useful)
Predicts when it will finish (and showing the time and which stage it’s on in the app)
Monitors its own progress and will inform me if it needs more time (like if the drying needs longer due to increased load size)
Allows pausing a wash so other items can be added
Has detergent dispensers that are monitored and lets me know when they’re low. It also works out the right amount of detergent to use based on size of load and other info you give it (see next item)
Has a ‘washing assistant’ which is like an ‘install wizard’ where I select the types of clothing in the drum, its level of soiling, whether I want it dried or not, and various other features - it takes all that and works out the correct programme for the items (I can do this from my phone too - which is actually more useful than it sounds!).
When the cycle is complete and it’s waiting for you to empty it, it goes into a ‘slow turn’ mode, where it just turns the clothing over every 5 seconds or so to stop creasing.
Notifies me when I should run the maintenance cycles to keep the machine clean
Notifies me when it needs a software update, which I can manage from my phone.
> Which a button on the front can't do?
Especially since, to add items, you have to be physically at the machine.
To your given example: Not having to fill it with detergent every single time, sure I can see how that might be nice. Buy your detergent, dump a few liters in there and only do that again once some LED blinks that says "Add detergent" or something. How does a large house come into play?
Now when would a washer figure out that it needs more detergent? Probably in one of three cases: At the beginning of a wash cycle it might calculate that it doesn't have enough for this time. Don't start, blink LED that says "Add detergent". Or it figures out that it won't have enough after this cycle is done. Well, who cares, wait until I try to use the machine next time.
Or maybe it finds out in the middle of the cycle, when it no longer needs to feed any detergent but determined it's now "out". But it's still running (you know, rinsing, spinning etc). If an ADHD person gets a notification that the detergent level is low in the middle of the cycle while they're in the middle of a meeting or maybe finally got into some flow state and PING detergent is low: Why is that good? I'd rather just refill it when I'm out of any other context anyway and I'm trying to fill the machine and it won't start until I fill it up again. You know, like I also just filled it with clothes?
ADHD comment was about cycle being done, not detergent. My washing machine is in the garage and there is no way for me to hear when it's done. Given that I do have ADHD, I will simply forget that I'm doing any laundry. Yeah, I can set a timer on my phone, which is what I do, but notification is more convenient.
No need to be such a Luddite.
And, the fact it just works out all the settings before I get bored is good (previously I just used the same wash settings for everything, which meant creased clothes constantly - and not one pure woolen item survived its first wash!)