Comments on: Usability and Credit-Card Readers http://www.bri-lance.net/2010/usability-and-credit-card-readers/ Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:55:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: admin http://www.bri-lance.net/2010/usability-and-credit-card-readers/#comment-88 admin Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:56:03 +0000 http://www.bri-lance.net/?p=305#comment-88 And yet another thing: When the grades of gas at the gas pump are in a different order from usual. There's one chain around here where they're reversed, with the most expensive grade at the left. I've almost gotten the wrong kind a couple of times. And yet another thing: When the grades of gas at the gas pump are in a different order from usual. There’s one chain around here where they’re reversed, with the most expensive grade at the left. I’ve almost gotten the wrong kind a couple of times.

]]> By: BJL http://www.bri-lance.net/2010/usability-and-credit-card-readers/#comment-87 BJL Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:17:21 +0000 http://www.bri-lance.net/?p=305#comment-87 Speaking of gas pumps, why does one of our cars have the fueling access on the driver's side and the other on the passenger's side. I'm constantly having to think about that when I pull into the gas station. And to pump gas into the passenger side fuel tank requires me to pull into the station against the usual flow of traffic and maneuver my car going the "wrong" way. Very irritating. Speaking of gas pumps, why does one of our cars have the fueling access on the driver’s side and the other on the passenger’s side. I’m constantly having to think about that when I pull into the gas station. And to pump gas into the passenger side fuel tank requires me to pull into the station against the usual flow of traffic and maneuver my car going the “wrong” way. Very irritating.

]]> By: admin http://www.bri-lance.net/2010/usability-and-credit-card-readers/#comment-86 admin Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:31:01 +0000 http://www.bri-lance.net/?p=305#comment-86 That's a good point, it's true that there are 4 different ways you could conceivably insert the card in the slot. However, I feel like the up/down dimension is easier to deal with, since writing has an up and a down and cards have writing on them. So, for the vertical type of slot, I think it's highly likely that most people would put it in with the writing rightside-up. The horizontal type of slot is a more difficult challenge. Good point also about looking beyond the card form-factor altogether. I used to have a debit card with the chip in it, and I did like that a lot. And I think that's exactly the reason why it is seen as an improvement, because it addresses the problems described above. That’s a good point, it’s true that there are 4 different ways you could conceivably insert the card in the slot. However, I feel like the up/down dimension is easier to deal with, since writing has an up and a down and cards have writing on them. So, for the vertical type of slot, I think it’s highly likely that most people would put it in with the writing rightside-up.

The horizontal type of slot is a more difficult challenge.

Good point also about looking beyond the card form-factor altogether. I used to have a debit card with the chip in it, and I did like that a lot. And I think that’s exactly the reason why it is seen as an improvement, because it addresses the problems described above.

]]> By: Nathaniel Gibson http://www.bri-lance.net/2010/usability-and-credit-card-readers/#comment-85 Nathaniel Gibson Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:57:55 +0000 http://www.bri-lance.net/?p=305#comment-85 Many card readers require the card to be facing one side or the other, so the technical difficulty would be that you'd need four readers, not two (one for each possible orientation of the strip. While that would solve the interface problem, I suspect that the quadrupling of costs would force non-adoption. While I don't have any of them in my wallet, I'm a big fan of the chip-in-card systems, where all you have to do is hold the card near the reader and it registers, or the key dongle (not "dingle," darn iPhone spell-check) system that Exxon (and others) use. There's no reason why credit cards have to be cards, other than historical precedent. Perhaps quicker adoption of one of these systems would solve the problem. I'd like to think that from a UX standpoint this transition would be fairly easy, considering car manufacturers also use the tech for "keyless" entry. Many card readers require the card to be facing one side or the other, so the technical difficulty would be that you’d need four readers, not two (one for each possible orientation of the strip. While that would solve the interface problem, I suspect that the quadrupling of costs would force non-adoption.

While I don’t have any of them in my wallet, I’m a big fan of the chip-in-card systems, where all you have to do is hold the card near the reader and it registers, or the key dongle (not “dingle,” darn iPhone spell-check) system that Exxon (and others) use. There’s no reason why credit cards have to be cards, other than historical precedent. Perhaps quicker adoption of one of these systems would solve the problem. I’d like to think that from a UX standpoint this transition would be fairly easy, considering car manufacturers also use the tech for “keyless” entry.

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