Marks and Spencers new Point-of-Sale card readers

[Guest]

Has anyone else noticed how difficult to read these are?

Beautifully bright with a super contrast and good colour temperature. BUT they are so damn hard to read because they have adopted what looks like a fixed font with almost zero spacing between the characters. As a result, characters merge into each other which makes it very hard especially for those with not quite so good eyesight. There is a huge amount of empty space on the display and so they could easily have used either a different font or spaced the characters better.

[MrGongGong]

Other shops are available

[Resurrection Man]

Other shops are available

A useful reply and thank you for that. I had not realised this.

[Osborn]

I can't be sure but I don't think the Chief Executive is a member of this forum. FF might know. So you might have to write to them.

[For what it's worth, when M&S moved the label from the back to the side of their underpants, ferocious letters appeared in the Gdn, Teleg or something, from men saying they kept putting both legs in the same half, kept falling over, that they were extremely dangerous underpants & should be withdrawn.]

[teamsaint]

its not the only thing they get wrong , apparently.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/apr/28/sweatshops-supplying-high-street-brands

Can't comment on the readers obviously.

[Flosshilde]

I can't be sure but I don't think the Chief Executive is a member of this forum. FF might know. So you might have to write to them.

[For what it's worth, when M&S moved the label from the back to the side of their underpants, ferocious letters appeared in the Gdn, Teleg or something, from men saying they kept putting both legs in the same half, kept falling over, that they were extremely dangerous underpants & should be withdrawn.]

For some reason the labels were much more irritating (physically, that is) at the side than at the back. I think they must have nestled in the hollow of the spine & therefore did not actuall touch the skin.

As far as the PoS readers are concerned, I haven't bought anything in M&S recently because a) the clothes are a little dull and b) I can't afford them - I shop mainly in charity shops.

[kernelbogey]

Has anyone else noticed how difficult to read these are? [...] they are so damn hard to read because they have adopted what looks like a fixed font with almost zero spacing between the characters. As a result, characters merge into each other which makes it very hard especially for those with not quite so good eyesight....

The tyranny of Design Fascists. The same applies to most food packaging where the typography is largely, if not completely, devoted to flogging it to you off the shelf. If you want to know how long to cook the stuff, you may be greeted by six point type in white reversed out of a dark colour: not because any of that helps you to read it, but because some marketing wonks think it looks cool.

[Resurrection Man]

I can't be sure but I don't think the Chief Executive is a member of this forum. FF might know. So you might have to write to them.

[For what it's worth, when M&S moved the label from the back to the side of their underpants, ferocious letters appeared in the Gdn, Teleg or something, from men saying they kept putting both legs in the same half, kept falling over, that they were extremely dangerous underpants & should be withdrawn.]

Well, thank you also for the helpful reply. Having seen the difficulty that elderly people have in reading these new devices, I had hoped that forum members might also have had a view - if they could leave the usual carping aside for the moment - which might then have added some weight behind trying to influence M&S into a rethink.

Clearly, my impression of a caring community on Platform 3 is a bit short of the mark. Too busy sniping at Cameron.

[Resurrection Man]

The tyranny of Design Fascists. The same applies to most food packaging where the typography is largely, if not completely, devoted to flogging it to you off the shelf. If you want to know how long to cook the stuff, you may be greeted by six point type in white reversed out of a dark colour: not because any of that helps you to read it, but because some marketing wonks think it looks cool.

[french frank]

Well, thank you also for the helpful reply. Having seen the difficulty that elderly people have in reading these new devices, I had hoped that forum members might also have had a view - if they could leave the usual carping aside for the moment - which might then have added some weight behind trying to influence M&S into a rethink.

Clearly, my impression of a caring community on Platform 3 is a bit short of the mark. Too busy sniping at Cameron.

But Ossie's post made me smile, and cheering up an Old Person in the morning is surely a charitable act?

[I haven't been in an M&S for decades: we don't have one near us. The Coop pos screens are very clear.]

[Paul Sherratt]

http://www.breadandhoneydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MS_125-Dine-in_Portfolio-01.jpg

Above is the only sign they really need in M&S. And that's hardly necessary as even customers with the most severe vision difficulties simply
home in on the buzzzzin' and shufflin' sounds coming from around that particular display.

[salymap]

Well, thank you also for the helpful reply. Having seen the difficulty that elderly people have in reading these new devices, I had hoped that forum members might also have had aview - if they could leave the usual carping aside for the moment - which might then have added some weight behind trying to influence M&S into a rethink.

Clearly, my impression of a caring community on Platform 3 is a bit short of the mark. Too busy sniping at Cameron.

Well, as an elderly woman with increasingly bad sight I thank whoever started this. I hope to get to Marks some time in the near future and shall take a younger relative with me if possible. And if I buy a pairof women's trousers I shall watch out for the labels. I doubt that a letter to thm would make much if any difference as they have contracts to have clothes made abroad I believe and can't see them changing them.

[Resurrection Man]

http://www.breadandhoneydesign.com/w...rtfolio-01.jpg


Above is the only sign they really need in M&S. And that's hardly necessary as even customers with the most severe vision difficulties simply
home in on the buzzzzin' and shufflin' sounds coming from around that particular display.

That is scary, Paul, as they (and others) have been doing that sort of deal only recently. Makes one wonder as to the quality of the food if they can do it for the same price.

[eighthobstruction]

Thankyou Osborn .....I have now after many years found the left aperture, and I am much more comfortable (and supported) due to your intervention....

What a marvellous informative and caring community FoR3 is....

[Flay]

Thankyou Osborn .....I have now after many years found the left aperture, and I am much more comfortable (and supported) due to your intervention....

What a marvellous informative and caring community FoR3 is....

Brilliant if scary mental images there!