Lew, I really like the digital/programmable thermostats. In my last house, however, it was located in a bad position at the top of the stairs, so that it made the rooms either too cold or too hot. I found a fairly cheap wireless thermostat which let you put the sensor portion in the bedroom, so that it was measuring the right temperature.

I will say, however, along the lines of your complaint, that I absolutely despise the automatic “thermostat” based A/C systems in cars nowadays. I’ve never had one that works right. I would much prefer the simpler type I used to have in my Toyota Corolla years ago: a fan control and a separate temperature control. Direct and simple.

Also along these lines–for home audio systems, I dislike these fancy and hyper-expensive digital control systems with a little LCD readout for each sound zone; I much prefer a simple volume knob on the wall.

The Best of Stephan Kinsella