This is sort of software, but of the firmware sort, combined with the physical interface:
EVERY MICROWAVE OVEN IS TERRIBLE.
Here’s an example interaction session. I want to cook for 2 minutes at 50% power. Button presses in [brackets], messages on the display in “quotes”, ellipsis indicates a pause of a second or two:
[2]
microwave starts cooking at full power for 2 minutes
[cancel]
microwave stops
[power level]
“the”…
“power”…
“level”…
“may”…
“not”…
“be”…
“changed”…
“at”…
“this”…
“time”…
“2:00pm”
[time cook]
“enter”…
“cook”…
“time”…
“0:00”
[2][0][0]
“2:00”
[power level]
“the”…
“current”…
“power”…
“level”…
“is”…
“PL-10”
[power level]
“the”…
“current”…
“power”…
“level”…
“is”…
“PL-10”
[5]
“the”…
“current”…
“power”…
“level”…
“is”…
“PL-5”
[start]
A microwave should have two knobs: a power level knob marked from 0 to 10, and an egg-timer-style twist timer to set the time and start the thing going. Why is that so hard?
Other appliances are equally terrible. Last time I visited my parents I had to ask for help multiple times to get their new oven to work - and usually I’m the one they go to for help with computers…
Laundry machines always have baffling modes like “permanent press”. What is that? What does it mean? What is the difference between “normal” and “delicates”? Why can’t it just have clearly labeled knobs for temperature, speed, etc?
Stoves are the only appliance which remains usable. Though I’ve heard of some electric stoves moving to microwave style thin-film button panels. Kill me.