Why isn't the PS3 easy to set up?

[Soundmanred]

And there's a clueless one.

What is hilarious about the topic that consumer usability is an important design issue, and there is no excuse that kids and grandparents trying to set up the PS3 are needlessly having to deal with an interface that deals in terms most won't be familiar with instead of making the process more user friendly?

Nothing.

Hell, there are people who have problems playing their DVD players - there's an old joke around the country about the blinking 12:00 because they don't know how to change it.

But what there are are ignorant jackasses who don't understand the topic.

It's one things when playing a computer game required installing a memory manager and partitioning RAM, changing jumpers on cards to change IRQ's and deal with boot files.

PS3's are meant as a general consumer item, and it's poorly designed for that in some areas. (I won't get into the similarly inappropriate difficulty in hard disk replacement).

No.

 

[Sulaco]

And there's a clueless one.

What is hilarious about the topic that consumer usability is an important design issue, and there is no excuse that kids and grandparents trying to set up the PS3 are needlessly having to deal with an interface that deals in terms most won't be familiar with instead of making the process more user friendly?

Nothing.

Hell, there are people who have problems playing their DVD players - there's an old joke around the country about the blinking 12:00 because they don't know how to change it.

But what there are are ignorant jackasses who don't understand the topic.

It's one things when playing a computer game required installing a memory manager and partitioning RAM, changing jumpers on cards to change IRQ's and deal with boot files.

PS3's are meant as a general consumer item, and it's poorly designed for that in some areas. (I won't get into the similarly inappropriate difficulty in hard disk replacement).

Just own up to the fact that you were too lazy to simply google "What is a WPA password", and forgot it (which is no one's fault but your own), and perhaps you wouldn't look like such a fool.

Don't like the fact that it requires updates constantly, even just for DVD playback? Cool. Agreed.
Angry about not knowing simple terms and being unable to utilize the most powerful and accessible search tool in the history of humanity to find the answer in 3 seconds? On top of forgetting your own password?

That's where the laughter comes in.

 

[Ichinisan]

Right.

Some pages said to find the password to go to URLs, that didn't work.

They can't have a generic URL that works for ALL routers. Heck, an Apple AirPort router has no web-based configuration (only a software utility).

What router or modem+router combo do you have? Model numbers are what I would need. Then I could probably tell you how to log-in with the default configuration password and see what your wireless password is.

Also, your computer might have a way to reveal your stored wireless password. Do you have a Win7 computer that uses wireless?

 

[Ichinisan]

... It's possible to not realize what password it's referring to

It happens immediately after selecting the WiFi network's SSID. That is the point when you expect it to ask for your wireless password.

the PS3 setup makes people pick whether to enter a 'WPA' password whatever that is, or another type, whatever that is.

It detects the encryption type as WPA and selects that option automatically. If it detected old/insecure WEP encryption, I'd stop trying to configure the PS3 and go reconfigure your router (or replace it?). Sony has to be specific about the encryption type. They don't want someone to try entering the WPS PIN or something.

Not everyone set up their on Wi-Fi.

I finally did find it - but the should be a lot easier.

Most have had to add a device to the LAN and they expect to be asked for the wireless password.

 

[CZroe]

And there's a clueless one.



What is hilarious about the topic that consumer usability is an important design issue, and there is no excuse that kids and grandparents trying to set up the PS3 are needlessly having to deal with an interface that deals in terms most won't be familiar with instead of making the process more user friendly?



Nothing.

"Most?" Sorry, but "most" people are familiar with setting up wifi from their phones and tablets and iPods and laptops and have encountered VARIOUS terminology along the way without getting tripped up by it like you did. There was nothing wrong with the interface there. It asked you for the password and even told you the type of password/key it needed for your particular network, which is more than most devices would.

Hell, there are people who have problems playing their DVD players - there's an old joke around the country about the blinking 12:00 because they don't know how to change it.



But what there are are ignorant jackasses who don't understand the topic.

...and there are people who understand the topic perfectly and still think it's hilarious that you would get tripped up and complain about it on a tech forum. It's even more hilarious that you are digging in your heels.

It's one things when playing a computer game required installing a memory manager and partitioning RAM, changing jumpers on cards to change IRQ's and deal with boot files.

Except it's not one of those things. Every device used various terminology. PIN, key, password, etc. Many devices back then required a hexadecimal key of a very specific length generated off of your password. Many devices like didn't even support WPA even though WEP had been rendered completely worthless (the PSP launched without WPA support; the Nintendo DS never updated and only supported WEP). By saying "WPA Password," they let you know EXACTLY what it's asking for without having to guess or use trial and error. I remember having a world of problems a year before the PS3 when something would not accept the WEP key I was generating and it came down to the HEX being different for upper and lower case while the Wifi utility generating the HEX was ignoring my case. It forced me to use a pass phrase in all caps to get around it.

PS3's are meant as a general consumer item, and it's poorly designed for that in some areas. (I won't get into the similarly inappropriate difficulty in hard disk replacement).

What's anti consumer about asking for the password that any device would have to ask for? In 2006 Windows would ask for your "key." Was that too confusing? I don't remember having a problem upgrading my PS3's HDD. I recall that formatting took ages, but the actual procedure was not difficult.

 

[Anubis]

the PS3 is easy to setup

you are just a moron

 

[Rakehellion]

the PS3 is easy to setup

you are just a moron

In a nutshell.

 

[Rakehellion]

Reminds me of the time I asked my neighbor to walk my dog while I was away. He asked me for the "key" to my house or some such nonsense so I told him to shut his commie mouth before I put my fist through it. Damn kids didn't talk like this when Nixon was around

 

[Fallen Kell]

Next thread - "Why is an NES so hard to set up, it doesn't even have an HDMI output"

Someone hasn't seen the HiDefNES mod by Kevtris and GametechUS. Sales are going periodically on their Ebay stores and I believe now on GametechUS's website (although I believe it is for fully modded NES systems only at this time, and he is still working the issues out with the online store on his website as previously he just provided mod services, not hardware sales).

 

[poofyhairguy]

grandparents trying to set up the PS3

WAIT WAIT WAIT

Why is grandma using the PS3?

What improbable thing is she gonna do next? Hit the bong?

 

[Schfifty Five]

Wow. lol this thread is hilarious.

Still a bit early in the year, but this could be a nomination for ownage of the year award 2016.

 

[Schfifty Five]

pebcak

pebcac (c for controller since it's a PS3)

 

[Codete]

Just own up to the fact that you were too lazy to simply google "What is a WPA password", and forgot it (which is no one's fault but your own), and perhaps you wouldn't look like such a fool.

Don't like the fact that it requires updates constantly, even just for DVD playback? Cool. Agreed.
Angry about not knowing simple terms and being unable to utilize the most powerful and accessible search tool in the history of humanity to find the answer in 3 seconds? On top of forgetting your own password?

That's where the laughter comes in.

Well, good design should not require the user to look up any terms. That said, I do believe the ps3 is rather easy to set up.

 

[CZroe]

Well, good design should not require the user to look up any terms. That said, I do believe the ps3 is rather easy to set up.

It doesn't require the user to look up anything. If you know what WiFi is, you know that there are different kinds and that they have passwords/keys. Do you look up "WiFi" every time you see it? I never saw anyone get confused when an 11mbps 802.11b WiFi network prompted them for their WEP key even if they didn't know what WEP meant.

 

[Sulaco]

Well, good design should not require the user to look up any terms. That said, I do believe the ps3 is rather easy to set up.

You're right.

My 67 year old mother doesn't know what an "HDMI cable" is.
It's poor design that she should have to educate herself on what that is before plugging the console in.

:thumbsup:

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

This is not believable.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

You don't get 35k posts over 10 years on a forum like this and then say something like this. This can't be real.

 

[zinfamous]

First person ever to say Poor Comcast

for real. Comcast actually deserve(d) that phone call.

 

[zinfamous]

the PS3 is easy to setup

you are just a moron

Hooking up any device to wifi is no more complicated or simpler today than it was with the PS3 in its time. So, yeah.

But if the OP were talking about setting up the device for proper video and audio playback, I would agree. Few people actually understand or are willing to learn how to match that properly to whatever receiver they have and select the proper audio output for what they want. On top of that, you have to deal with the proper video output.

I always found that very annoying with the PS3 setup and menu layout/descriptions. Part of that is because that was something of a transitional period with HDMI being somewhat established, but plenty of receivers with different requirements for passthrough or not, depending if you wanted to utilize the new and fancy HD audio channels from BD.