Chapter 6 — The Machine That Goes Ping

The previous chapter traced how interfaces give users increasing control over active products. But what about products whose normal state is silence — whose job is to do nothing until the moment they are needed?

Let us consider a specific category of products: standby products. These are the quiet components that sit inside larger systems, under tables, or deep in remote racks. Their defining trait is simple: they do nothing for years at a time. Yet when they are finally called upon, they must not fail. What kind of user interface should they be provided with?