A Decade of Crossed Wires -- Wireless Router has Given us the Most Trouble Over Past Ten Years

Cardiff (PRWEB) January 14, 2010

The humble wireless router has been named the most confusing gadget of the decade. It has left Brits scratching their heads for the longest amount of time over the past ten years, followed by the iPod.

Research carried out by Confused.com shows the top 10 most confusing gadgets of the decade to be:

1.    Wireless router
2.    iPod
3.    Mobile phone
4.    Digital camera
5.    Sat Nav/GPS
6.    Sky+
7.    DVD Player
8.    iPhone
9.    Nintendo Wii
10.    Video camera

Despite the amount of time spent by consumers trying to crack such gizmos over the past ten years, the poll of 2,000 people revealed that a stubborn 48% of us don't even bother to consult the instructions before tackling a new gadget. The most common mistakes we make are connecting leads up wrongly (55% of people) or not inserting batteries correctly (45%).

Kelly Davies from car insurance and energy comparison experts, Confused.com, commented: "We've all spent time trying to get to grips with tricky gadgets over the past decade. The rapid pace of technological advancement presents new challenges for all of us as our favourite gizmos evolve and develop. There's no doubt that the good old-fashioned route of reading the instructions first before diving in and trying to make a gadget work is the only way to crack it!"

Wireless router
One of the most difficult pieces of computer hardware to master, setting up a home wireless network has caused consumers hours of problems since they were launched. DHCP addresses, ethernet cables and TCP/IP optimisers have left us all scratching our heads at some point.

iPod
In October 2001, Apple unveiled the first generation iPod with numerous models to have appeared since. Getting to grips with the tricky click wheel and learning to synchronise with an iTunes account are usually cited as the biggest difficulties in mastering it.

Mobile phone
Over the past ten years, the mobile phone has evolved at a rapid pace. From mastering small keypads to getting to grips with extensive menu functions, every new make and model presents new challenges for the user.

Digital camera
Whilst the rise of the digital camera might have fuelled vanity amongst users as pictures could be improved upon again and again, taking the perfect digital image is riddled with pitfalls be it mastering flash, reducing redeye or getting the correct aspect ratio.

Sat Nav/GPS
A classic confuser, problems with Sat Nav can be as much human error as technical. The past ten years have seen numerous astronomical mishaps - from the trucker travelling from Turkey to Gibraltar who ended up in Skegness, to shoppers heading to Lille in France ending up in Lille…in Belgium.

Sky+
Since it's launch in 2001, Sky+'s PVR technology has revolutionised the way we watch television. It is not without it's pitfalls however - navigating the electronic programming guide, managing to synchronise the complex remote with the TV and mastering the rewind/fast forward buttons have all given consumers problems over the past decade.

DVD Player
Welcomed in households up and down the country as a sleek and user-friendly upgrade to the video tape deck, the DVD player can still cause problems for rookies in connecting it up correctly to a television and deciphering confusing DVD region codes.

iPhone
Released in 2007, the iPhone has transformed how people use their mobile phones. No longer just method for making and receiving phonecalls. The plethora of applications available for use leaves many puzzled, whilst mastering the sensitive touchscreen is also a tricky process.

Nintendo Wii
When the Wii launched in 2006, it revolutionised gaming. Its advanced wireless technology has not been the easiest thing to master however, with some users struggling to master the techniques needed to operate the controller to optimum effect.

Video camera
From older-style tape-based cameras to new, hard disk models, video cameras mean every moment of family life can now be captured for future preservation. However, making sure the lens cap is removed, mastering focus and capturing sound all present challenges for the everyday user.

For further information please contact:
Press office, Confused.com: 02920 434 398

Notes to editors
About Confused.com:
Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com has all of the 'big six' energy providers on its panel, customers can save £207* on their annual energy bill by switching with Confused.com

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com's service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

*50% of customers who switched gas and electricity (dual fuel) with Confused.com between January and June 2009 saved on average £207.58

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