My local laundromat has been "upgraded" to a computerized system whereby all the machines are linked to a central computer system. Instead of using quarters, you have a card on which you add balance on a machine on the wall.

And instead of putting quarters into the machine, you put your card in a slot. Sounds convenient right? Until you find out that you have to insert your card for every quarter you want to add. So if you wish to add 8 quarters to the dryer, you have to insert the card, wait for a beep, take it out and put it in again to add the next quarter. 8 times. Each quarter takes about 10 seconds to add because the crappy system takes a few seconds to read your card, and sometimes it gives an error so you have to take it out and do it again. All around me I hear people saying "Goddam....what the....piece of....urghh!" It's freaking unbelievable.

But hey, it's 2015 and at least I don't have to deal with those archaic coins.

That's indeed backwards - they had a similar card system at the Silver Towers when we were there a few years ago, only, it worked as you would expect.
 
The only thing is that I guess that this could allow you to add extra time if one standard drying cycle isn't exactly enough or if you only need to fluff a shirt for a couple of minutes. If the machine allows for that and isn't locked to full cycles (and it probably is).

Hey, every $.25 swipe counts! I wouldn't want to over swipe though.
 

Rain
That's indeed backwards - they had a similar card system at the Silver Towers when we were there a few years ago, only, it worked as you would expect.
 
The only thing is that I guess that this could allow you to add extra time if one standard drying cycle isn't exactly enough or if you only need to fluff a shirt for a couple of minutes. If the machine allows for that and isn't locked to full cycles (and it probably is).

Yeah I've used the card laundry systems at luxury buildings like the Silver Towers. Very straightforward and convenient, and probably designed by someone with their brain fully intact. You have to wonder what drugs the person who designed this one was on. The most obvious design would be to let the user enter their card and press an up arrow to increment a number representing the number of quarters you wish to use. But noooo...they actually sat there and thought "let's have the customer insert and remove their card every time." I'm literally disturbed at some of the stuff which gets past quality control these days.

What you possibly have to understand is, we are the guinea pigs.  This is just the beginning of the technological era and revolution, so there are going to be issues.  If we can survive for another 100 years...humans that is, this world will seem primitive and you will probably think money into the slot.
 
Ben

BenMMusTech
What you possibly have to understand is, we are the guinea pigs.  This is just the beginning of the technological era and revolution, so there are going to be issues.  If we can survive for another 100 years...humans that is, this world will seem primitive and you will probably think money into the slot.
 
Ben

If I'm going to be a beta tester for new laundry technology then at the very least I want a free box of Bounce.

OP, that is so backward. Better off on the river, banging your dripping wet n dirty laundry on a rock; that's how it was done years ago  no coins, no cards and hopefully no freaking chemicals either, just clean river water, river sand and a rock is all you need.... 
 
Now get out there man and show the locals how its suppose to be done

SongCraft
OP, that is so backward. Better off on the river, banging your dripping wet n dirty laundry on a rock; that's how it was done years ago  no coins, no cards and hopefully no freaking chemicals either, just clean river water, river sand and a rock is all you need.... 
 
Now get out there man and show the locals how its suppose to be done

I actually have my eye on one of these Dolfi ultrasonic washing device doobries:
http://thegadgetflow.com/...xt-gen-washing-device/

sharke

SongCraft
OP, that is so backward. Better off on the river, banging your dripping wet n dirty laundry on a rock; that's how it was done years ago  no coins, no cards and hopefully no freaking chemicals either, just clean river water, river sand and a rock is all you need.... 
 
Now get out there man and show the locals how its suppose to be done

I actually have my eye on one of these Dolfi ultrasonic washing device doobries:
http://thegadgetflow.com/...xt-gen-washing-device/

It's taken thousands of years to go from a river and rock to a card-op laundry... and finally after all those years there is this handy little device ((Dolfi)), that fits inside a little travel bag; It will clean all those smelly socks, jocks.... passport, cards and who knows what else is tucked away inside that little travel bag.
 
Awesome!
 
 

SongCraft

sharke

SongCraft
OP, that is so backward. Better off on the river, banging your dripping wet n dirty laundry on a rock; that's how it was done years ago  no coins, no cards and hopefully no freaking chemicals either, just clean river water, river sand and a rock is all you need.... 
 
Now get out there man and show the locals how its suppose to be done

I actually have my eye on one of these Dolfi ultrasonic washing device doobries:
http://thegadgetflow.com/...xt-gen-washing-device/

It's taken thousands of years to go from a river and rock to a card-op laundry... and finally after all those years there is this handy little device ((Dolfi)), that fits inside a little travel bag; It will clean all those smelly socks, jocks.... passport, cards and who knows what else is tucked away inside that little travel bag.
 
Awesome!

If it can get rid of the funk out of my gym clothes I will be over the moon. Although I've had quite good results with a little vinegar in the machine.