Size Matters. You don't.

I like gadgets. The Rio was just one of a series of things that have grabbed my attention because they're just plain cool. Before electronics I collected other more tangible gadgets, like knives and survival equipment. Since I lived in Mexico and went hiking frequently, I actually had a use for the stuff.

Now I collect more electronic gadgets. I started with a calculator watch when I was about 10, and continued on with a Casio universal remote control watch and some other junk. Then I progressed to my Rios, a couple Palm Pilots, and a cell phone. Besides some quasi-gadget stuff like computer parts.

But that all doesn't really matter. Remember the first truly geeky gadget, the calculator watch? Well it was damn cool. You could write "boobless" on it and show it to your friends, you could cheat on math tests, you could calculate tips and gas mileage...well...if you were old enough to drive that is. And quite frankly if you're old enough to drive you shouldn't have a calculator watch. So it was cool, and did you ever complain about the small buttons? No, of course not, how else could they get all the functions on there?

Skip forward a bit. Topic: Cell phones. In the beginning they were huge. The size of a regular phone if you had a car phone that plugged into one of those console things, or roughly the size and weight of a brick if you had a truly wireless one. Now days, well, Nokia has a prototype cell phone watch, and for mere mortals such as myself, my 8260 is about 4" long, an inch and a half wide, and weighs less than my Palm V. I'm going somewhere with this, really.

So I was looking up reviews of my phone on Amazon.com after I bought it (a fun pastime of mine to go look for reviews of stuff I already have) and what did I find most of the bad reviews complaining about? The size of the buttons.

Well DUHR! Of course the buttons are small, the phone is small you idiots! I hate people like that. It's like buying a Geo Metro and complaining that it's small. NO SCHMIDT! If you want a phone with big buttons so your fat, redneck, uncoordinated butt can use it, get one of these! But don't rain on my parade just because I happen to be coordinated enough to use a phone with small buttons.

Now, don't get me wrong - I have nothing against people who, because of bad eyesight or an actual physical disability (like having no fingers) can't use a device with small buttons. What I don't like is when people buy one knowing full well that it's small, and THEN complain. I have just seven words for them, same as for people who call Nintendo tech support: That's my air you're breathing. Please stop.