I love seagate products, but what genius designed the packaging for their 6gb Pocket Hard Drive ? THe drive came packaged in one of those impregnable plastic shells (see picture in link above) that makes it look pretty on retail shelves but impossible to open once you buy it.
What is the logic behind making a product impossible to open once you buy it ???????
I bought the thing so my wife could backup all her digital pictures at home andon her parents computer at their home. Plus i thought it would be nice for her to be able to plug it in at her friends house and show off the pics of our beautiful daughter.
I went from the considerate husband to asking for bandaids.
I got home. Took the pair of small scissors I keep at my desk and gave it a shot. The result was deeper impressions in the skin of my fingers than progress on the plastic.
Next was the “big scissors” we keep in the storage closest with various office supplies. No finger problems, but they could only make a small incision into the surface of the packaging.
Now my manhood was at stake. If i cant puncture a plastic package…well. You get the picture.
So into the kitchen i went for “THE KNIFE”. Not a butter knife. Not a steak knife. Its THE KNIFE that you know you have and when you see it in the kitchen you think to yourself:
“Ok, if someone ever breaks in the house, this is where i go and I grab THE KNIFE and I protect my family as the slashing sounds from Psycho play through my head”
thats THE KNIFE i grabbed.
I sliced, I diced, i cut, i sawed. I broke the skin just enough to squeeze my fingers in hoping to pry apart the jaws of plastic that had intruded into my simple goal of helping out my wife. Unbeknownst to me, this was no passive plastic that gave up once the shield of its defenses were broken. Oh no. This was the payback plastic. The kind that wanted you to carry a reminder of the plastic battle you fought and fought.
The plastic drew first blood. My fingers went in, and I swear I heard it laugh milliseconds before it punctured me in a far more precise manor than i could ever inflict on it. Paper cut my ass. This was a plastic cut. Quick. Deep. Bloody.
Bloodied, but not beaten, i went back to the big scissors and finally managed to break down the plastic to the point where it could no longer put up a fight and could be ripped to shreds.
I had won. Not without a fight. Not without a scarred reminder of the battles fought.
As i basked in my victory, a thought came to mind.
WHO THE FUCK DESIGNED THE PACKAGING ON THIS THING AND WHY DO THEY STILL HAVE A JOB !!!!!
Damn you and any other product manager who thinks wrapping inpenetrable plastic around a product is a smart move. It isnt
Pingback: Amazon Fights ‘Wrap Rage’ With Easy-Open Packaging
The time has come to end your hatred of the hard plastic shell packages. The zip-it Opener is the answer
to your problem. It is a battery powered (2AA) electric had help opener. It operates on the principal of the
can opener with roller blades. The press of a button activates the rollers and it easily slices off the sealed
edges of the package. There are not rough edges, no need for band-aids,safe and easy to use. It is
particularly nice for anyone with hand strength issues. See a demo video at http://www.zipitopener.com. I am
the inventor, so am bias, but it really does work, and work well.
Comment by Steve -
Pingback: Tu siguente paso en Internet » Amazon entrega paquetes peligrosos
I have a nice scar and nerve damage on my left thumb from wrestling with this kind of packaging. And here I thought it was my fault for using a pocket knife, instead of scissors, to open it… Hmmm… Sounds like a bit of stupidity on both sides.
Comment by Richard -
Pingback: Geepok » Amazon entrega paquetes peligrosos- Noticias de Tecnologia
Pingback: Amazon Launches “Frustration-Free Packaging” | BitterWallet
Pingback: Jim Lynch: Off the Top of My Head… » Amazon and Wrap Rage: Amen!
I have a pair of heavy duty garden type sheers for that type of thing. I hate that packaging too…
Comment by Bill Forney -
Have you been injured by plastic packaging? Are you fed up like me? Not only are we stressed and frustrated by this bomb proof packaging, but we are bleeding too!
Seeking anyone who has been injured while opening this kind of packaging (clamshell/blister). If there are enough of you, this may develop into a class action lawsuit.
Please email with your experience:
ppinjuries@yahoo.com
Comment by Daniel Perlman -
From what I understand, the person that made the packaging has made a killing on not only the packaging, but the cheap knife/opener that he designed to go with it.
Comment by PK -
Hey, I always have problems opening such packages too 🙂 It’s funny to see that I’m not alone.
Comment by net man -
Hey, I always have problems opening such packages too 🙂 It’s funny to see that I’m not alone.
Comment by net man -
AND……That plastic container is 5 times larger than the product. Not too much of an issue though because it probably will just de-generate in about 80 years or so at the trash dump grounds.
Hope the city trash pick up guy don’t cut his hand through that thin trash bag. He was mad at me for putting too many limbs on the curb once. If he cuts his hand on the plastic container I might just end up in a trash bag myself.
I hope the manufacturer isn’t overly concerned about the oversized plastic container because I will be happy to pay for the extra plastic it takes to make it bigger than it has to be. Hey, I’m a red blooded American so I want to do my part in supporting our industry. I’ll just cut back on my groceries a bit more.
Maybe the overly large and thick plastic packaging wasn’t a concern because they probably thought every retail store has plenty of extra shelf space and a ton of back room storage. I bet they have a bunch of extra warehouse space so it didn’t even have to be concerned. If you have high profits I bet you just don’t have to worry about tiny expenses like that.
I bet if you shipped one of these things across the country to a friend or relative for a gift, you’d need an extra sized box and a sack of egg shell foam packing material but the added cost would only be a few dollars. Shoot I’ll just post pone my vacation for a few months and that will take care of that little expense. Extra cost for the shipping and handling charge will be almost nothing. What’s an extra buck or…. two anyway? A pound here and a dollar there is just almost not even noticeable.
Hum…I just wonder….. I wish I was one of those important guys making big serious decisions about major stuff like containers for packaging material to look pretty. I would probably max out on my salary range or maybe kicked back in my luxury leather tilt office chair. I’d call some little person and tell them to make celebratory plans to recognize me for my product packaging ideas.
Sorry I can’t type any more my finger started bleeding again. Dam I may need stitches…..
Comment by BG COP -
Frst time caller long time listener catching up from being away the last month……
On “The challenge” (the comments are so long on that page I couldnt’ submit so I’ll do it here) — You should check out this producer, screenwriter, actor http://www.JessicaStover.com and what she is doing.
I have been reading her website JSDC all year and you and your productoin working with her makes sense to me. Hope it works out and keep up the great work.
:: G ::
Comment by Geoff -
I simply will not buy products in that tough plastic packaging….screw em.
Comment by Steven -
Hey Mark,
I’ve had many meetings with Seagate people including the CEO Bill Watkins. I’d love to get Seagate to respond in the conversation. Seagate is all about bringing smaller bigger drives out .. in an exploding small storage market
Comment by John Furrier -
All sorts of small and expensive electronics are packaged in oversized plastic containers to prevent shoplifting. I agree thou-f*ck whoever designed them . . . its probably the same guy that designed the similarly frustrating cd/dvd packaging.
Comment by Britt -
A real man would eat the package and crap out the contents. But us sissy folk need an easier way.
Comment by Chris Davis -
I AGREE! FIRE THEIR ASS and the people that approved it!
I’ve cut myself several times!
The lastest, just the other day, opening a toy for my nephew. I went through (almost) your steps EXCEPT I could not get to the product after I cut it open. I had to pull the plastic apart because the sides were glued together. That’s when I received my wounds. IT’S CRAZY! A TOY!
To all manufacturers of small electronics:
Secure your product in a box (like a computer game) and take a picture and put it on the front of the box. It’s simple.
One more thing… the way CD’s are packaged. OMG! That’s another one. Although you don’t suffer cuts…..it’s very frustrating to get to the CD.
Thanks for keepin’ it real.
Go Mavs!
Comment by TS -
if you were a real man you could open it without a knife
Comment by gaz -
I’ve got one word for you son: Bioplastic.
Comment by Scott Newsom -
It could be a security issue so people dont undo the package in the store and take whats inside.?
Comment by rob M -
I think the answer to this problem is to sell a version of the product online that has paper-based packaging, much like the stuff they put the Apple iPod in. Not to jump on the iPod bandwagon or anything.
Comment by D. Greene -
Mark,
This is my first post and while I realize I’m a few days behind, I also know that posting on the correct corresponding day would fail to get your attention. This is about your movie-goer challenge. I read both of your blogs on the topic and feel that the overwhelming opposition to actually going to the theater tells us something. Screw em. Yes, some things are worth brushing the dust off of but this one is not. In the new age of media, everyone who cares to see a movie has their own personal theater. The home theater business has shown no signs of slowing, especially as LCD, DLP, and Plasma displays continue to become less and less expensive. In addition, even notebook computers are becoming equipped with screens 19 and 20 inches for media purposes. However, as technology changes, people do not. We’re lazy as hell Mark. That’s why we love the tech to begin with. I know you love portable tech or else you wouldn’t have risked losing fingers to provide such an amentity. Why not encorporate that into our movie experience? TVs, desktops, laptops, pdas, even handheld gaming devices are equipped with USB ports and while we can buy everything from fans to lava lamps that plug into these jacks, the film industry hasn’t done anything with it at all. Why not make a NETFLIX-like service have the ability to be “soft copy” and still portable? Why not release new films to people in their homes? Are we afraid we’ll lose money on the revenue side? Charge more. #1- People will pay rediculously and unnecessarily high amounts of money for products they love and that work. Look at the ipod, underarmour, etc etc. #2- Pay Per View has been around for more than 30 years now and is still in mass use. A Time Warner or Comcast-like digital cable service could easily accomodate a Pay Per View movie program, even in HD. But don’t team up with these shmucks…start a new one. Put a monopoly on the business. Tie in home service with internet purchasing. Please allow me to make a side note here. I don’t want to do away with theaters all-together. For some, it is still a great way to spend an evening. But as you previously mentioned, lets take movie viewing into a smaller arena. Be it the Rock and Roll movie or the sit, sip wine, and watch the notebook environment. This solution allows one corporation to do both simultaneously, at low cost with potentially large return. Back to the idea itself. I think in-theater movie merch is brilliant. Should have been done decades ago. Bands have been taking advantage of merchandise sales at concerts forever, why haven’t Groups like Warner Bros, Paramount, and Regal Entertainment been doing the same? I also feel that sites like fandango are great. But why they stand alone as a single entity is beyond me. Why don’t they offer movie sales? Or link themselves to the previously mentioned modified Netflix service? There could quite easily be a system that recongnizes that I bought a ticket (or purchased a showing from my livingroom tv) for the opening showing of Batman returns and because I am loyal to that single company, gives me a 10% discount when I purchase the DVD of the same movie through them. I think this would give people a reason to buy more movies after they see ones they enjoy. Mark this is simply the tip of the iceberg. Ever since I read your initial cry for help on this topic my mind has been working overtime. Forget trying to improve the movie-viewing experience, REVOLUTIONIZE it from A-Z. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Take care of the fingers, I don’t want to be shaking a bloody hand!
-Josh
Comment by Josh -
Here’s the simple absurdity of their packaging and your unfortunate attempts to open it:
Their website states:
“Sleek, round shell absorbs shocks, so you never have to worry about your data.”
If it absorbs shocks so well, why do you have to overpackage the item?
Comment by Greg Wirth -
Been there, done that. Great read, thanks. =)
Comment by Patrick Feller -
My wife and I were on our way to a wedding, and realized our memory card on the camera was full-so I stopped by Best Buy to pick up a new card. Big mistake. We could NOT open the stupid package, since we don’t carry an XACTO BLADE OR SCISSORS IN OUR CAR.
Comment by totoro -
funny piece, too close to home. Next time plz remember: manor=manner
Comment by Ward -
Mark, I have had this same complaint for many years. I am so glad that you finally voiced your opinion about this issue and hopefully this will get to the PM’s who designed this ridiculous packaging.
Comment by Jason Raznick -
Here’s what everyone should do. Go to walmart buy one of these packages open and then take it back and get a refund. They then would have to send the pretty package back to vendor or use ugly tape on the package and try to sell it again. Just an idea
Comment by John Thompson -
Been there, done that… with no band-aid handy no less. I mean, what’s the point of making a package THAT impenetrable? If it were for protecting the product, okay but does the plastic have to be nearly as thick as the plastic the product is made from?
Comment by Rebeccalee Coventry -
Are You Wanted By The Packaging Police?
I finally had to speak out. The packaging industry is under attack by the “packaging police.”
There have been dozen of backlash articles about it in the news recently. To tell you the truth I’m sick of all the articles talking about freeing Barbie from her packaging prison and how may people went to the hospital because they injured themselves trying to open a plastic clamshell and other esoteric “packaging adventures.” These issues about packaging have been beaten to death and then some. And don’t foget the blogs. Some of the worst venting about packaging appears on personal blogs under the I’ve had a bad day column.
The media loves all the negative impressions people are bombarded with about the packaging in the waste stream, landfills etc. I too thought it was much higher (brainwashed that is) but I found out when I was at Cal Poly giving the opening keynote that its only 30% as opposed to the 70-80% the media and packaging detractors would have you believe.
Who are these “packaging police” anyway? What is there mission in life? Don’t they know that without a package you can have a product? That’s what packaging is all about getting the product safely, securely and intact to the ultimate user in addition to being the product spokes and sales person. So what else is a poor package to do? We have tamper evident, tamperproof, anti counterfeit, date stamping, TTI’s, RFID, sonic welding and other additional security measures all designed to protect the consumer and they don’t even know it.
You’d be surprised at the number of people that don’t even know about product dating on the package. I can assure you I check. With all the concern over eating healthy, product freshness is an important issue and the package tells it all. I might mention here that I’s almost impossible to read the dates in many cases. They are either in obscure locations or the type is so small you need a magnifying glass. (I hope you read “Packaging Your Products to Boomers ” available at http://packagingcoach.com/everythingaboutpackaging.htm)
But seriously, packages that are difficult to open will continue to be a problem as our population ages. Do the words manual dexterity ring a bell?
So consumers should just GET OVER IT since they are the main cause why many products are packaged with security in mind. Lets talk about theft, counterfeiting, product integrity and product security. I got an email from Tyrone in South Africa last week. He was giving a speech on packaging innovations that impact our lives and it got me to thinking about all the wonderful and creative packaging innovations in the last 40 years. Packaging that has literally changed our lives.
Some of innovations have come about due to dire threats such as the Tylenol incident. Can you believe that happened 20+ years ago? Think of the whole category of tamper-evident packaging that evolved from this situation. When I speak to students at schools and universities about packaging they have no idea what I am talking about. They just take it for granted.
Retail claims that theft is one their worst problems so packaging that protects products form being stolen is done for a reason. The same thing with counterfeiting, which incidentally is on the rise. Anyone read about the l This can be a huge issue with the number of packaging products being sourced off shore.
Some additional packaging possibilities that can pose potential “threats.”
Green Packaging: Can you validate your claims?
Organic Packaging: Watch out for regulatory agencies.
RFID: Is big brother watching you or are you watching them?
Healthy Packaging Claims: Is It Really True?
Packaging For Seniors: Can they read or open the packaging? Is it REALLY senior-friendly?
Copycat Packaging: A lawsuit waiting to happen and does every week
So whatever packaging discipline you are in be sure and stay attuned to what are the “Hot button” issues in your field. Prevent the “packaging police” for setting there sights on you.
Comment by JoAnn Hines -
The real irony here is that these packages were designed by the same people that put sugar in those paper bag-boxes that will leak everywhere with one small bit of damage! These same people put cereal in a bag… inside a box! They put a thin near-indestructable wrapper around CD and DVD jewelcases, and they change the type of mechanism used to hold those jewelcases closed so that you inevitably destroy at least one in your collection without thinking. Finally, they are responsible for the potato chip bags that often rip COMPLETELY in half when just enough strength is applied.
It’s not an easy job designing packaging to maim and annoy customers!
~MW
Comment by Michael Wyatt -
andrew hillman! you right!
Comment by Stone -
On a number of occasions, when I have purchased a product wrapped this way, I have asked the checkout clerk to get someone to open the package for me before I will leave the store. Only one time did I have to go through with my threat and abandon the product and get my money back.
Comment by JWP -
I can relate. Many products miss the 12 things that make them usable. First it must be openable. Second it must be affordable, third it must be somthing that can be used easily daily if needed. And so on. I understand and can totally relate to you fustration to this. Most people especially as smart and as wealth as you don’t think about or care about these things sir. Have a good day.
Comment by andrew hillman, andrew hillman -
Let me first start off by telling you your post made me really “lol”
Anyhow I sympathize with u about the packing BS… I cut my hands a number of times and the worst packed material I have opened was my extra battery for my iPaq pocket pc… that SOB would not open!!! I had to knife it, cut it and rip it the hell open just to get out a god dam battery!!!
I would also like to have the same questioned answered that you have asked “WHO THE FUCK DESIGNED THE PACKAGING ON THIS THING AND WHY DO THEY STILL HAVE A JOB !!!!!”
Comment by Lak -
I cant see companies changing the way they package goods until a more cost effective solution emerges. Plastic packaging is cheap, allows for great presentation, and what do companies care about opening packaging once you have already bought the product?
Comment by E P -
I think that Costco has alot to do with the poluarity of the blister pack. They will have their vendors put the smallest thing into a giant blister pack, presumably to prevent shoplifting. They have been pushing this for so long I think it has become the norm for other retailers as well.
A roll of 100 postage stamps (about a 1″ diameter roll) comes in a blister pack that is about 15″ tall. Such a waste too, since this type of plastic is rarely recycled.
Welcome to the 1970s of prodcut packing! Oh, wait, that was a flashback.
Comment by Bill Paul -
Been through the same thing…and I have a very short temper with inanimate objects. No, you shouldn’t need a f*ckin’ box cutter or some geek gadget to open a package. A package shouldn’t be people-proof, it should people friendly…like a condom wrapper: if you fail once, you have like 10 more times on both ends of the perforated sides – even without a good grip.
Comment by Andrew D. -
I’m suprised that no one has filed a suit on this by now. If the McDonalds coffee was too hot without warning, what about cuts to body parts ?
Comment by arctic_dolphin -
THANK YOU! every time I see a product with that shit shrunken around it I hope that it was done in two halves so it will simply pry apart. when it isn’t I immediatly grab the kitchen scissors, the ones that will cut through a penny, and my leather palmed work gloves.
i’ve been in the same boat as you many times and still to this day wonder why this has become commonplace in retail packaging. not to mention how lovely the package looks when it’s been returned and stapled back together. that’s the one that ends up on the clearance table.
-d
Comment by Dave -
I agree COMPLETELY. I have been saying the same things for a long time now. It makes NO SENSE to me at all why any manufacturer would use that type of packaging!!!!
Comment by David -
Blister packs should be banned. There are quite literally hundreds of hand injuries a year as a result of them.
Comment by tim in tampa -
There are a pletheria of dissucions that could be made in either the positive or negative with regards to TAMPER PROOF PACKAGING. Mainly though it boils down to two things most sought after.
1) Does the packaging entice the buyer through some form of advertising to purchace the product at the moment the item is in their hand.
2) Is the packaging as THEFT PROOF as possible so that the distibutor of this item will lose as few as possible to company loss.
Pretty much sum’s it up ladies and gentlemen.
Comment by Dylan R -
shouldn’t you have office flunkies that deal with packaging ugliness?
of course the best way to avoid this packaging is to become Amish.
Comment by Joe Corey -
Mark, just wait until the Polly Pockets and Bratz dolls…you’ll wanna pitch your bloodied self off the nearest bridge…it’s like Fort Knox trying to pry those darn things out. Have a good weekend…keep plenty of Band-aids around 🙂
Comment by Catherine E. Rubey -
Glad to know I am not alone in my pain over these things! I always wondered if there was actually a “set way” you were supposed to do it, but I was too dumb to work it out. Seems the world is as dumb as I am 🙂
Comment by Dane C. -
I told you Mark, it’s not easy to be green!
Comment by kissing ass -
I’m amazed that people are telling you how to open it when you opened it. Now you can share all your high res pics with fam and friends.
Comment by Andy Coon -
Glad to see even the super rich have the same problems as us little people. Can’t you hire someone to open these things? Just kidding!!
Yes these packages are annoying. I guess the idea of keeping the packaging intact for a return is totally done now. You gotta use the big scissors. That package looked very difficult.
Comment by Maury Goldstein -
Yes, people who design packaging should die in a fire. Or, at least be forced to open their own product several times a day.
Comment by Chris Davis -
YOU MUST BE BORED…….get to work.
Comment by nick smith -
I, personally, think it is so they can toss it around during shipping and not give a rat’s ass how careful they are being. You could drop em off a ten story building and the contents would still be alright.
The best way to cut em open, as I have found, is to cut the plastic with my Cutco scissors that cut pennies in half.
Comment by Kip -
Mark,
funny story, as an ex-retailer I can tell you that these plastic packaging can really discourage shoplifting (shrinkage), but can also become a major headache when dealing with returns. In the future, just ask the retailer to open the package for you
bobby
Comment by Bobby Orbach -
I am pretty sure that small items are packaged that way to prevent theft. I worked at Best Buy for three years, and if I had a penny for the amount of people who tried to steal memory cards, cd’s, dvd’s etc. i’d be a rich man.
Comment by Al -
This kind of packaging is essentially “physical DRM”.
It is designed specifically to keep “casual theft” (http://www.clear-vu.com/industrynews.cfm?newssel=4) which is an admittedly small fraction of retail shrinkage. Most theft is internal, the rest is from professional shoplifting rings, and the tiny minority is from opportunistic or casual theft.
If you follow the DRM metaphor a little further, the vast majority of studio-produced music and movies that hits the internet illegally comes from studio insiders, the rest from professional pirates in places like Russia and China and a tiny (but slightly larger in comparison to the physical theft) fraction from end users.
No matter which side you’re on, content creators or retailers, you have to be concerned with the fact that the experience of dealing with these kinds of heavy-handed anti-theft and anti-piracy measures leaves the vast majority of paying customers with a bad taste in their mouth. On top of that, it doesn’t significantly reduce theft in the first place.
The bottom line is when companies treat all of their customers like criminals – the end users get hurt – and your hand is a prime example.
Comment by Marc Nathan -
Tin snips, man. The only way. Or those kitchen scissors you get when you buy a block of knives, the thick, serrated ones that are pretty much the same as tin snips. And yeah, frick the morons — not the ones who invented it — but the ones who can’t see what a pain in the ass it is, and come up with a better solution.
Comment by Mr. Tool -
Mark,
You’ve hit the nail on the head. I’ve destroyed countless scissors trying to open the plastic packaging that you’re referring to in your post. You shouldn’t have to buy a special tool to open what you’ve just bought. It could be said that the packaging companies and the tool companies are working together to make a profit. “If you make this tool, we’ll package this product in such a way to create a massive demand for your tool to get through our product.” It’s economically genius, but it blows to be a consumer.
Comment by Matt D. -
Am i the only one who isnt going to pander to you and tell you that you should feel ashamed that you couldnt open a simple plastic packaging? I do it all the time. Just did it with a new razor.
Or maybe you should go to your local hardware store and purchase some scissors that dont suck.
Comment by G -
“19. Posted Aug 11, 2006, 12:49 PM ET by MojoMark
”
Yeah who really cares that Mr. Cuban’s whining about the packaging around a $100 gift that only happens once a year.
I can’t believe that it took 19 posts to mention the wiring on toys..
I’m sure Mark had a birthday party and spent 2 hours opening the toys for his daughter.
I wish I had invented the machine to auto twist those.
Comment by PSC -
Apparently the “Retail Gods” (TM) have heard you. I was pleasently surprised to find this on my packaging:
http://www.anders.com/images/1offs/easy-open-packaging.jpg
I bent the tab out for show, but it easily peals down the entire back of the package. I think I’m in love…
Comment by Anders -
Next time use poultry shears. They work very well for me.
Comment by Bob Juch -
Mark
I understand your frustration.
I had a first hand demo of the ‘Pyranna’ plastic package opener yesterday and thought this might prevent many bloody hands.
I wrote about it today on my blog ‘Serge the Concierge’
Heal my friend.
Serge
Biz:
http://www.njconcierges.com
Blog:
http://www.sergetheconcierge.com
Comment by Serge Lescouarnec -
I bought two of these drives in Malayasia on my way back to Australia. Due to the bulky packaging I asked the sales assistant to just give me the USB drives. For the next half hour and short of using a guillotine we struggled and finally managed to retrieve them from the Fort Knox packaging. What a waste of resources on such a non-fragile inexpensive item. Makes one wonder on the cost of the packaging and the add-on cost to the product.
Comment by A Haque -
Some of the products packaged in this way are almost destroyed in the process of removing them from the package. I avoid buying products packed in this way whenever possible.
Comment by Sun -
I was thinking the same thing when I bought a Leatherman knife a few months back. Problem was that I needed the knife in order to open the package said knife was in!! This is the same lame ass packaging that CD’s used to come in. Those peeps may be idiots but they are damn good salespeople!!
Comment by Keith Dennis -
Adam Eaton, a former pitcher for the Padres, feels your pain.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/2001/20010531/recap/housdg.html
Only missed one game, but went to the hospital when he stabbed himself in the stomach opening one of these packages.
They’re annoying, but I don’t see what the problem is. I haven’t hurt myself… yet.
Comment by Mario -
I think you miss the point of the plastic. If you notice, the name of the product is ‘pocket hard drive’. Which is exactly what they don’t want someone doing who hasn’t purchased it yet. This is why the huge plastic ‘wrapping’ and the difficulty of opening. It pretty much guarantees someone can’t open it in the store and walk out without being noticed.
Comment by Mike -
Thanks for this post
Comment by Poker mann -
I know someone who designs those packages….he is now in a witness protection program.
Comment by Karen DuGuay -
Coudnt agree more! Now instead of going to the gym,I just go buy something in one of hose packages and get my workout trying to open it!! The I take the box cutter I finally had to buy to get it open use it to open those rdiculous “tamper proof” dvds , then slit my own throat!
Comment by Brian -
You guys are certainly not candidates for a job shucking oysters.
Comment by zircon -
I dread my purchases that come in this crap. I especially love toys that they package like this. Nevermind opening the toy for said child in the car as most of us don’t carry an arsenal of sharp weapons with which to puncture the plastic tomb of death.
Comment by Chris -
Another thing not to lose sleep over is cereal packaging. It hasn’t changed in 40 years! I still can’t open the inner packaging neatly without scissors.
The senior execs at Kellog’s probably don’t ever open their own packages otherwise they’d do something about it. Either they don’t eat their own cereal or they have their help prepare it.
Comment by Bryan Burns -
YES! I HATE that packaging. It drives me ballistic every time I’m forced to try and struggle with it to open something. Even when the scissors do work, its still a pain to cut through it and not get sliced like you did.
Comment by John -
And you know of course, since you have a little one, that all toys are also packaged this way. Adding great drama to any happy presentation you might hope to make to a three-year-old! Fortunately, we keep the “Dora bandaids” on hand, literally! Keep up the good work, and thanks for making me laugh this morning!
Comment by Kathleen -
Here’s an interseting tidbit (sorry to pull a Cliff Clavin). I saw a program on Discovery a few months ago. The guy who invented the first bloody (pun intended) plastic forming package used everywhere today, also built a special device/knife to open them.
Actually the program said it was his wife who suggested it. While they collected their royalty cheques for his invention, she also was frustrated trying to open them. She told him he needed to make a knife/scissor to open them with ease… so he designed one specifically to open his hard to open packages.
He now collects royalty cheques from the opening devices, although they are harder to find than the packages themselves 😉
Comment by Sean Bourassa -
I would probably max out on my salary range or maybe kicked back in my luxury leather tilt office chair. I’d call some little person and tell them to make celebratory plans to recognize me for my product packaging ideas.
Comment by Com -
Its a security thing for sure . Weather proofing also for things like fire sprinklers going off in the warehouse etc. But it deffinitely sucks. I laughed my ass off too. I ve been there. Thanks for some humor
Comment by Frankie from Lawnside -
And damn those people who invented nails and screws and bolts and nuts — they require me to buy a special tool to work with them!
Pick your battles, people, before you have a coronary.
Do the plastic packages irritate me? Sure. Have I cut my hand on one since years ago I decided that they weren’t going away and simply bought a cheap tool specifically designed to open them safely? No.
There is WAY too much fucked up stuff in the world to lose sleep over — this isn’t it.
Comment by Ladd -
To all those that mentioned to buy separate gadgets or cutting devices to open a package, I say phooey to you all. Buying a product should not require any additional accessories to open it. I could understand the additional accessories that are actually used with the product, but to open it, that’s nonsense. Companies should just stick with cardboard paper based packaging, it’s not as elegant but damnit, it’s easier to open and easier to recycle being more environmentally friendly.
Comment by Drew Bentley -
Just get the wife to open it. Geez.
Comment by CW -
Mark, this story had me rolling! But isn’t that just the tip of the iceberg with what goes on in this world? Bureaucracy can be summed up with that piece of plastic. You have to go through so much crap just to get something simple done. I applaud and admire your honesty and candidness. May more people in visible positions take up this attitude for the sake of us all.
Comment by Frank the Tank -
Mark,
you made me think of something. Next time I a product in such packaging, I’ll ask the store to open it for me before going out.
Since the packaging is for their benefit, it is the least they could do.
Comment by Jerome Paradis -
Try a Small Nuclear Device.
That is what I use for housekeeping and other small thankless jobs.
Comment by Kevin -
Allow me to add my voice to those saying spend $5 on the OpenX tool. It’s annoying to have to purchase a special tool just to open the plastic packaging, but danged if the OpenX tool doesn’t work easily and safely.
I purchased six of them over a year ago and gave away all but one to friends and family. Every single person called back later to say what a wonderful tool it was.
Comment by Ladd -
RIGHT there with you on that. I’ve been complaining about this for the past several years. Kids packaging is also equally painful to get going. It’s just a doll, why is it strapped in like it’s going into orbit?
Comment by Branden Williams -
scissors
Comment by Brian -
Not only is it a cheap way to package a product, but customers are less likely to return a product after destroying the packaging. Sad but true.
There is only one way to fight poorly designed products and unnecessary packaging…stop buying them.
Comment by The Moose -
I hate those things too, but I did find an easy way to open them….burn the edges with a lighter and peal apart. Youre Welcome!
Comment by RJ -
Thats funny, not because you got hurt (ok that’s funny because guys laugh at each other when they get hurt), but also funny because Colbert Report actually did a segment about packaging rage.
It’s on youtube.com I tried to find it.. if anyone finds it.. post the link. It’s hilarious.
Comment by Keith -
Don’t use “the knife”. You are lucky you didn’t take off a finger. Don’t use a utility knife, also very dangerous. And those package openers aren’t very versitile. Get a pair of trauma shears like these http://www.allheart.com/pm870.html
for $4. Very useful for packages and if you owe someone half a penny, it’ll cut one of those in half too.
Comment by Dave Stone -
this was hilarious. it reminds me of when i got an mp3 player that was in some kind of plastic thing they were supposed to take off at walmart (i found this out after my ordeal). long story short, i had to clamp the box down on a woodworking table, and chopped off the end of it with a circular saw. all this after i had resorted to trying to melt some of the plastic with a lighter to make it easier to pry open!
Comment by muslimblogger -
Ha, Thank you for the laugh.
Comment by Shay -
Not any worse than kid’s toys fastened to their packaging with poly coated wires. My kids start to lose interest in the cool toy when they open a gift and then have to wait 15 minutes for an adult to extract the toy from the packaging.
Comment by MojoMark -
Two things:
Throw one of these in your kitchen drawer http://www.myopenx.com/home.htm
Best $5 you’ll ever spend.
The packaging is designed to be hard to open. Large retailers that sell small, expensive gadgets demand that the packaging be difficult to conceal and difficult to breach to avoid shrinkage (shoplifting). On the other hand, the packaging must be attractive (for display purposes) and able to withstand the rigors of a trip from manufacturing facilities in Asia. So, clamshell packaging is born.
Comment by Fernando -
I always wondered about the same thing. I figured there must be an upside to the packaging that I am just not seeing. LOL! Thanks for the laugh Mark.
You may want to read a NY Times article on this subject: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/technology/circuits/09POGUE-EMAIL.html?ex=1155441600&en=b6b0eac0da9af7e0&ei=5070
Comment by Antonio Howell -
I feel the same way, which is why I keep EMT shears in my house, they cut through anything.
Comment by Bill Reals -
I gotta agree…whoever made this packaging must be shot. You shouldn’t have to buy a utility knife or some other product to OPEN SOMETHING YOU ALREADY PAID MONEY FOR?
Comment by Stone -
I always wondered about the same thing. I figured there must be an upside to the packaging that I am just not seeing. LOL!
Thanks for the laugh Mark.
Comment by Antonio Howell -
I’ve given up with knives and scissors. Now I just take the packaging out to the garage and use a razorblade around the entire packaging.
Just don’t get me started on CD jewel case packaging..
Comment by samerwriter -
My Exacto knife cuts through this plastic fairly easily. Be careful not to cut through both layers and into your desk though. Trace around three sides just inside of the edge and peel back the plastic.
The yellow Open-X tool looks cool, so I had to order one to see how well it works…you know, a guy cannot have too many tools!
Comment by David -
This has always struck me as a psychological ploy to try to keep returns down, i.e. you’ve destroyed the packaging which means the product can’t be put back on the shelf as-is (don’t know about you, but I’ve had retail employees tell me that the product “isn’t in resellable condition” and try to refuse the return or charge a restock fee based on it). While this is obviously a B.S. reason to not take something back, it may be a deterrent for someone thinking on the fence about returning a product.
Of course, that is stupid thinking. I’m not arguing that. But that doesn’t mean someone didn’t think like that when they designed it.
Comment by Justin -
Use one of those pen-type X-acto knives that they sell as Asel Art over on Cedar Springs and start where the plastic begins to move upward to surround the product. Just be very careful and use a brand new blade.
Comment by dagurreotype -
Use one of those pen-type X-acto knives that they sell as Asel Art over on Cedar Springs and start where the plastic begins to move upward to surround the product. Just be very careful and use a brand new blade.
Comment by dagurreotype -
Great post! I think every CPG company should have a director of un-packaging. We actually pitched this at one of my consulting gigs, but they decided we were crazy. However, the fact we all have a story like this makes me feel even more confident in the theory.
Comment by Sean Ammirati -
Amen!
I have have resorted to use a box cutter to open shit like this. But still, somedays are worse than others, the occasional scar still makes cuss this damn packaging. I know it is a theft detterent, but hell, they are making it a purchasing detterent as well.
ciao
wayne
Comment by Wayne Downing -
I am always fearful I am going to break the product while attempting to “break into the packaging” !! I wonder what would happen if you were to break the product while trying to open it ? Would the company say we cannot help you because you broke it while opening it, sorry it was not a manufacturer defect ? The only thing worse to me is the little styrofoam pebbles they fill a giant box with, and the box is usually 25 times the size of the item inside. Just the other day I filled 3 garbage bags of those pebbles, from inside a box from pottery barn for kids, in the box metal pale and a baby outfit.
Comment by John Stewart -
I always wondered about the same thing. I figured there must be an upside to the packaging that I am just not seeing. LOL!
Thanks for the laugh Mark.
Comment by Antonio Howell -
It has always been my feverent desire to find the guy who invented shrink wrap, and run him through hsi own invention. With the Seagate Plastic
Comment by alan herrell - the head lemur -
I always wondered about the same thing. I figured there must be an upside to the packaging that I am just not seeing. LOL!
Thanks for the laugh Mark.
Comment by Antonio Howell -
Mark, you made me laugh so damn hard with this story. I swear I thought I was the only one who could not freaking stand that horrible plastic packaging. WTF are these companies thinking? I know what I think when this happens,”It’s gonna be a long f-ing time before I buy a product like this from this company again.” I mean,Sugar Honey Iced Tea, if I want a work out I will go to the gym!Your wife is a very lucky lady to have such a thoughtful husband.
Comment by E -
Buy a utility knife, Mark. They’re $1.59 at Wal Mart. 🙂
Comment by Aaron Brazell -
You might appreciate this article from Wired on the issue of problematic packaging:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/1,70874-0.html
Comment by Wes Kim -
I have one one of these and it works perfectly for opening plastic packages:
http://www.myopenx.com/home.htm
Comment by Scott -
Tamper proof packaging on a mail order product is asinine. Somebody should invent a package with a string type thing that you could pull to break the seal around the perimeter of these packages. Unless of course the packaging industry is in collusion with the band-aid industry.
Comment by JMoney -
You do know the trick don’t YOU??? You take a lighter and geat or melt away a peice if it and then just stick a butter knife in there….. Come on Markey…. How could u not know that??
Comment by Super Handy Man Al Carroll -
Aww – sorry Mark. It’s one of those things I suppose. I personally use an Olfa knife. Industrial, strong, replaceable blades, inexpensive. Just cut the thinner plastic around the edges, and voila! Your product is in your hot little hands. The edges of those plastic containers are usually melted together. It’s really difficult to get through that stuff. Remember it’s the thin plastic away from the edges that is penetrable. Cheers!
Comment by Nelson -
Aww – sorry Mark. It’s one of those things I suppose. I personally use an Olfa knife. Industrial, strong, replaceable blades, inexpensive. Just cut the thinner plastic around the edges, and voila! Your product is in your hot little hands. The edges of those plastic containers are usually melted together. It’s really difficult to get through that stuff. Remember it’s the thin plastic away from the edges that is penetrable. Cheers!
Comment by Nelson -
I have a scar on my hand from dealing with that piece of shit plastic trying to get out a microcassette recorder a few years ago. I wonder now what I wondered then…”There’s got to be a better way!!!”
Comment by Hashim Hathaway -
Mark, this story had me rolling! But isn’t that just the tip of the iceberg with what goes on in this world? Bureaucracy can be summed up with that piece of plastic. You have to go through so much crap just to get something simple done. I applaud and admire your honesty and candidness. May more people in visible positions take up this attitude for the sake of us all.
Comment by Frank the Tank -
I was on a plane with a guy who manufactures those kinds of plastic. He said that they have much better materials, but the companies don’t want it. The companies want to reduce the theft of just taking the product out of the package in the store and walking out, for them it works great. Unfortunately, everyone else has to suffer through trying to get the damn things open. I too have fallen viticm to the wrath of the unforgiving plastic package, it’s a shame the consumers can’t be number 1 instead of the theives.
Comment by David Ryan -
I don’t know if it has been mentioned as I don’t have time to read 130 or so posts, but here’s my two cents:
The packaging is to help prevent shoplifting, not just to look pretty on the shelf. Therefore the difficulty we all experience is fully intended.
They should indeed come up with some sort of pull tab that opens it easily and maybe makes a really loud noise to bring the attention down on any potential shoplifter.
Comment by Chris -
As mentioned, the packaging does discourage returns and that is certainly one of the purposes.
I propose a national buy-open-return event where everyone goes into their local store and purchases
something inexpensive from a “target” manufacturer and then returns it. The message will get across if enough people participate after the media picks up on the story.
Comment by RCHelicopters.com -
I’m happy to learn someone else is sharing the frustration I have had for years. I guess they are afraid you are actually going to use the product so they package it in such a way it is almost impossible to get into. Some of the products packaged in this way are almost destroyed in the process of removing them from the package. I avoid buying products packed in this way whenever possible. Keep your cutting torch handy 🙂
Comment by George -
This is another area in which we have a lot to learn from the Japanese, who, in the products they sell in Japan, have often taken packaging to a high art form. It may cost a little extra, but it certainly increases customer satisfaction and gives a competitive edge.
Comment by Mico -
Cutting the plastic with some sharp object (box cutter, exacto knife, industrial strength scissors, etc.) is fine until the product inside the plastic has wires hiding inside. Such was the case with some headphones I purchased, and quickly returned/exchanged for a new set. I’ve also ended up cutting through the UPC code which was still needed for a rebate.
Thank you for bringing this topic to a larger spotlight.
Comment by MG -
AHAHAHA, Mark, that was a funny as hell. I like reading your blog.
And to all you other guys too,,,I work for a Delivery Service, If you knew what those packages went through to get on the shelves in one piece, you’d know why they package them like that.
SO next time you get a shipment from somewhere, If it looks like someone has been playing football with it………….they probably were. =-}
Comment by Mike -
“When we arrived home I attempted to open the Spiderman fire truck box without severing a finger. The packaging for toys drives me nuts! One of these days if I lose a digit I’ll start a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturer.”
That’s a quote from an article I wrote at Quirkee.com. I swear one of these days the plastic shells that holds these items hostage will rule the world.
James
Comment by James -
it’s about time a public figure finally has the guts to speak up on something that’s bugged me to no end! the kid-proof tamper resistant caps are the worst culprits. thanks for some common sense – maybe now you’ll trigger some actual thought processes out there in industrial la la land.
Comment by swi -
This is exactly why it is preferable to let someone else open it. 🙂 I’ve had several nasty plastic cuts before. Not fun.
Comment by Roxana -
Funny story. Ironically your bio that says you are an “…active investor in cutting-edge technologies…”
http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/cuban_bio000329.html
Comment by Johnny -
Right on Mark! I’d like to kick that guys ass as bad as I’d like to kick the ass of the designer of airline seats!
Comment by Jordo -
I have had similar experiences where, on two occasions, I have ended up in the emergency room for treatment. The most recent experience was last year and I slipped with the scissors and ended up with 5 stitches, a tetanus shot, and an emergency room bill because of it along with two new prescriptions (1 for pain and 1 an antibiotic). I have been under the impression all my life that if I buy something I should be able to get it out of the package and use it! I guess not!!!
Comment by Nancy Lockwood-Gates -
>>So consumers should just GET OVER IT
Wow that’s a great attitude – lecturing consumers on what they should accept.
Comment by mark Beyer -
I just swallow my packages whole and ten seconds later burp out the amazingly dry, shiny, new gadgets.
Comment by James Vaughn -
If only we had this epic battle on video, it would be the hottest video on YouTube!
Anyone interested in starting a petition to fight ‘Big Plastic’?
http://www.cubanvsplastic.com
Comment by jmb -
I had the same problem with a Sandisk USB Flash disk, and though it did not draw blood, it got me so annoyed that I almost cut through the disk itself. These kinds of things make you one if those in charge with packaging lack any common sense whatsoever?
Comment by abredross -
burn the edges with a lighter and peal apart,i also use this way,and let me vent my anger .
Comment by yan -
Thanks Mark- I’ve posted my comments about the hidden side of who is driving this packaging- retailers. Thoughts on how to fight back as well at http://blog.seanalexander.com/PermaLink,guid,071ff7ad-e058-4721-9cfb-3b77b24cbcf8.aspx
Comment by Sean Alexander -
WTF are these companies thinking? I know what I think when this happens,”It’s gonna be a long f-ing time before I buy a product like this from this company again.
Comment by Janny -
Heck Mark,
Your rich enough to have someone else open it for you. Enjoy it bubba.
Comment by Richard -
By the way, how does that portable drive work? Is it worth buying?
And yes, you need a reality check. Get over to Best Buy, or some store like it and observe all the packaging.
Comment by Don Mac Gregor -
Ok, the packaging totally sucks.
What I hate the most is trying to wrap the stupid thing for Christmas or a birthday! Screw them! I’m just using gift bags to give gifts anymore. It’s too damn hard to wrap a present on a package that looks like R2D2. Too many curves, dips and bends! Can’t they just make the things with right angles?
Comment by Paul -
Ok, the packaging totally sucks.
What I hate the most is trying to wrap the stupid thing for Christmas or a birthday! Screw them! I’m just using gift bags to give gifts anymore. It’s too damn hard to wrap a present on a package that looks like R2D2. Too many curves, dips and bends! Can’t they just make the things with right angles?
Comment by Paul -
Utility knife baby,
I have a non retractable utility knife that I use more for opening all these technology packages and cutting those charity solicitations envelopes that you cannot rip with your hands ( genius!!) than I use for work around the house.
Comment by rich -
Mark,
I can’t agree more! I too was trying to open a package 4 years ago with “THE STEAK KNIFE” when I cut (Gashed) myself behind the thumb requiring 14 stitches! The doc says I was about a millimeter short of severing a tendon. Had I done so, I would havelost useof the thumb fro 6 months and never be strong with it again. Something needs to change with this kind of packaging usually used with electronics and also toys!
Comment by John Hoffman -
Sounds like an opportunity to make a new product — one that’s designed to open these evil packages. I drew blood opening a Gillette Fusion package after going through a similar lineup of household tools.
Comment by CMH -
We all share your pain. I have always wondered why the marketing whizzes at these companies don’t see the advantages of smart looking, smart acting consumer packaging. As one earlier comment alluded to, anyone who buys an Apple product the first time is as blown away by the packaging as they are by the product. This is another area in which we have a lot to learn from the Japanese, who, in the products they sell in Japan, have often taken packaging to a high art form. It may cost a little extra, but it certainly increases customer satisfaction and gives a competitive edge.
Comment by Troy -
I got one word for you: Blowtorch!
Comment by Lars Michael -
I am so glad someone is telling like it is! I would glady pay more money if these friggin products came in easy to open packaging! Why should it take me 15 minutes to open a Spider-man toy I bought for $4.29 cents while making me look like a fool in front of my crying son.
Comment by Rob A. -
Sounds like an opportunity to make a new product — one that’s designed to open these evil packages. I drew blood opening a Gillette Fusion package after going through a similar lineup of household tools.
Comment by CMH -
See, and experiences like these led me to go from hard and sturdy tape to thin and sturdy. Tape which we use to seal packets. Because I myself want to be able to open the package using nothing more like my hands, a key at best. See the link.
Comment by Sebastian -
Can we also shoot the SOB that came up with the idea of the little twisty ties that every toy my daughter gets has a minimum of 20!
Comment by KPF in ATL -
In 2004, American Feelings had it’s mangled finger on the pulse of this packaging issue:
http://www.americanfeelings.com/archive/2004_12_01_archive.html
Comment by I Spill Drinks -
Hmmm maybe you didnt read the “how to open square which tells you to use a bowie knife or a lightsaber”
Comment by Mavsfan -
good!
Comment by imdbcn -
Hey Mark,
Thought you might find this a bit funny if you’re a fan of the Colbert Report or the Daily Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTjeAR2bnfU
Comment by Collin -
That really sucks Mark, but you did the same thing I would have done. Perhaps, you should have just bought a Sony Micro Vault and saved yourself the trouble. This is the one I have: (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007WZMW2/sr=8-5/qid=1155523666/ref=pd_bbs_5/103-1903946-2287855?ie=UTF8)
Of course I paid half that price.
Maybe you should save that crappy seagate product and shove it up the ass of the next official that screws your team over. I’d pay to watch that!
Celtics fan, but love the Mavs. Rock on.
RJ
Comment by RJ Jackson -
Two words: Box cutter. Just make sure you dont plan on returning it anytime soon =D
Comment by Shawn -
Sure, they should all be fired, but I sense a secondary market here. You could make a fortune selling a device which allows normal, college-educated humans a way to open the packaging withot serious injury.
Heck, I’ll pay 29.95 if it means I only have to put up with minor injury.
Comment by Joe -
From working in retail you can thank the FUCKING shoplifters for your Bloody finger. They are designed to prevent theft. So much so the soul that bought it can’t get in it.
Comment by James from Corinth -
It’s strange that device is working. I bought many seagate products. Not bad at all… But I have case only with hard drives. No portables, stationary only. Well, maybe it’s just with your package? Try buy once more and let it open someone else 🙂
Comment by Puppy -
That package, wrapped like that, is a grim reminder that the profiteers are in charge. The mark-up on these items after forced child labor and/or low cost overseas factories is phenomenal, but yet they are so greedy and so far apart from any questioning consumer, that they decide to make the wrapping impossible to open to keep it from theft, never ever considering the consumer’s basic rights to have access to the item without hurting themselves. In a world where profiteers are bigger than god, this little package says it all! The person whom designed that package probably got promoted for saving the company money without any regards to consumer rights. If the company is sued, they will just add the legal fees to the price of the next package. Sad, but its reality! How about changing the laws to benefit the consumers, for a change? Now, that’s where Warren Buffet should spend some of that hardly earned money? LOL!
Comment by Mitchell -
That package, wrapped like that, is a grim reminder that the profiteers are in charge. The mark-up on these items after forced child labor and/or low cost overseas factories is phenomenal, but yet they are so greedy and so far apart from any questioning consumer, that they decide to make the wrapping impossible to open to keep it from theft, never ever considering the consumer’s basic rights to have access to the item without hurting themselves. In a world where profiteers are bigger than god, this little package says it all! The person whom designed that package probably got promoted for saving the company money without any regards to consumer rights. If the company is sued, they will just add the legal fees to the price of the next package. Sad, but its reality! How about changing the laws to benefit the consumers, for a change? Now, that’s where Warren Buffet should spend some of that hardly earned money? LOL!
Comment by Mitchell -
I have the large shears and an Exacto knife. Every time I have to whip out that knife, I have visions of it slipping and drawing blood. So far, so good, I guess (I often have cuts of unknown origin on my fingers and hands, so I could well have been assaulted by the packagings).
If I could find the person who made that stuff, I’d seal him up in it, and give him a Phillips screwdriver (that’s often what I have to work with at work; I’m a technician, not a shipping clerk). I think I would give him one hole for air, where he couldn’t get at it.
To the inconsiderate ones: Don’t bother telling ME to be a man about it, since I’m not one. I do think I will start letting retailers open my packages for me.
Comment by MiniMage -