The little things add up: Getting out-of-box right

Interesting bit on the ‘Flip-ification’ of the Cisco Valet router. According to Pogue, they’ve done a great job of making the router a much more approachable device, but it’s the little things that are getting in the way - like the “Plug in Easy Setup Key to get started” sticker on the back.

We noticed something similar recently when evaluating the Google Nexus One phone. The packaging was very well done, visually appealing with a nice unpacking sequence, but there were three things that really stood out: The box itself was hard to open for people with small hands, the power adapter had a poorly-printed sticker slapped on it at an angle, and the twist ties around all of the cables were the ‘cheap-o’ variety. Little things, sure, but they added up to sully the overall impression.

State of the Art - A Hot Spot Shortcut, Lost in the Weeds - NYTimes.com