Should Changes Be Made to Vaporizer Descriptions?'

[h3rbalist]

Just had a little bit of hassle finding a butane vape thread and had a thought.

Wouldn't

'Mains Powered'

'Battery Powered'

'Butane Powered'

be better titles?

Not trying to reinvent the wheel here, and maybe there a perfectly good reason they are the way they are but, just a thought.

 

[max]

'Mains Powered' - We wouldn't use a slang term like that. 'Plug-in' clearly refers to plugging into an AC outlet. We've had no reports of confusion over that terminology.

Battery and butane powered are both clearly portables, and there aren't enough butane powered models for a separate portable category, even if we were inclined to consider that change.

The subtitles for each section also make it clear what you'll find in each section- Plug-in - Vaporizers that plug into an electrical outlet by default. Portable - Vaporizers that do not plug into an electrical outlet by default.

 

[pakalolo]

If you hover your cursor over each forum heading, you get a pop-up that make the distinction pretty clear to me. The forum headings were chosen after a lot of thought and discussion. None of the structure of FC was done without careful consideration, so while suggestions are welcome, changes like this one are probably not likely.

 

[h3rbalist]

Thanks for info @pakalolo I will try the hover thing.

I just thought with better titles that's not necessary.
As it's a little clearer.

@max

For me a portable is something I can transport easily. (Without a case)

Also 'mains' is a legitimate term in my country of origin. Lol Definitely not slang.

'Plug in' well I can plug my Crafty in????

 

[pakalolo]

I just thought with better titles that's not necessary.

The problem is that your suggested titles aren't really better, while the pop-up and sub-titles are perfectly clear and do not depend on terms that vary from culture to culture. The dividing line that we chose after lots of deliberation was whether or not the device plugs into an electrical outlet by default. The Crafty doesn't.

 

[h3rbalist]

The problem is that your suggested titles aren't really better, while the pop-up and sub-titles are perfectly clear and do not depend on terms that vary from culture to culture. The dividing line that we chose after lots of deliberation was whether or not the device plugs into an electrical outlet by default. The Crafty doesn't.

I hear you. Stuff gets lost in translation for sure.

I just think things have moved on since. Times change. There are loads if butane power devices. I include butane lighter power also so that would incorporate dab devices also.

Anyway was just a thought.

Thanks for the replys.

 

[max]

For me a portable is something I can transport easily.

The definition of easily transportable will vary with the individual, but AC powered (plug in) or not (portable) covers the bases for everyone.

Also 'mains' is a legitimate term in my country of origin. Lol Definitely not slang.

I don't doubt that, but you won't find 'mains' referring to electricity in any way if you look it up on dictionary.reference.com, so we certainly wouldn't consider using it on a North American based forum.

The criteria we use for portable vs. plug-in isn't always perfect (we have a unit described as a desktop by the manuf., but since it's designed to run on batteries, it's in the portable section), but it's simple and it works for us.

 

[RUDE BOY]

Kind of funny but, I was born and spent most my life in the southern USA and still I think of my ev-2 as a "mains" powered vape myself. "plug in" sounds more colloquial and slangish to my ears.

Could there not be a tag like there is (used to be?) for "pen" vapes to delineate "butane" power?

 

[KeroZen]

+1 for the "butane" tag (or "gaz"?)

 

[h3rbalist]

The definition of easily transportable will vary with the individual, but AC powered (plug in) or not (portable) covers the bases for everyone.


I don't doubt that, but you won't find 'mains' referring to electricity in any way if you look it up on dictionary.reference.com, so we certainly wouldn't consider using it on a North American based forum.

The criteria we use for portable vs. plug-in isn't always perfect (we have a unit described as a desktop by the manuf., but since it's designed to run on batteries, it's in the portable section), but it's simple and it works for us.

Appologies for dragging this up again but this topic was mentioned in another thread recently and got me thinking.

I have found the following:

'In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power.'

That being said, would, Grid Powered, Battery Powered and Butane Powered be acceptable terms?

I strongly believe it would allow less room for the problems you have outlined in your post. No more confusion from the manufacturers or your users and it would allow them to debate whether a unit is considered portable or not.

I think in the past when desktops and portables were reffered to it was a way of suggesting one group was somehow inherently better/stronger/more powerful than the other simply because it's 'plugged in'.

With advances in tech we are seeing fewer 'plugged in' and much more powerful units that would fall into your 'portable' section. This is easy to see when looking at the traffic on your site.


@pakalolo how do you 'hover' when using a smartphone or tablet?


Please if I'm just say.

 

[pakalolo]

@pakalolo how do you 'hover' when using a smartphone or tablet?

As you probably know already, there is no such capability for mobile devices.

 

[h3rbalist]

As you probably know already, there is no such capability for mobile devices.

Is there any alternative way those users (like myself) can see the helpful pop-ups?

I'm going to make an assumption that the majority of hits on your site are from smartphones. If not now, they will increasingly be so.

Do you see this as a potential problem in the future?

 

[pakalolo]

Is there any alternative way those users (like myself) can see the helpful pop-ups?

I'm going to make an assumption that the majority of hits on your site are from smartphones. If not now, they will increasingly be so.

Do you see this as a potential problem in the future?

There are CSS/Javascript workarounds for mobile users but the implementation would have to be done by the xenForo developers. I have no idea if that is planned or not.
You have to ask @vtac about the percentage of hits from mobile devices. The rest of us Staff don't see those stats.

I don't see this being much of a problem. The pop-ups aren't meant to be a primary function, they're a secondary convenience. The website will never depend on hovering to work properly. In the case we're supposed to be discussing, I was simply pointing out that there were pop-ups that could clarify any confusion. All they do is show the same text that appears as the sub-header when you click onto the next page. In other words, they save you a click, nothing more.

 

[1DMF]

@h3rbalist - lol Mains = slang.

Another lost in translation I think. the UK power system in your home is called the mains and the circuit that is split via a fuse box (Ring Main).

When we say does it plug into the mains, what we are really asking is 'Does that device run on 240volts AC mains power'. (OK - The European Union standardisation put it down to 230v - but we still tend to say 240v - an age thing I guess!)

Outside of that the common name for other electricity types are 'Three Phase'

So for me Mains is far more a correct description than Plug-In, many portables Plug-In to the mains - either to charge them or because they have 'use while charging features'.

In UK 'Mains Powered' means must be plugged in to the house hold mains power to use and does not have batteries for use while unplugged.

Is there any alternative way those users (like myself) can see the helpful pop-ups?

It's all to do with how the developer wrote the GUI interface. There is no such thing as an 'onhover' action when using touch screen devices, which is a nightmare if the developer has used this event to covey information to the user.

My own site suffers from this legacy way of coding, before mobile devices took off. The developers need to decide if they are claiming the Bulletin Board software to be 'mobile friendly' or not and if so, find another way to convey the information they currently use the 'onhover' event for.

 

[Mr. Me2]

What do the people here think about encouraging manufacturers, retailers, and others to modify their descriptions and categories of vapes from Desktop and Portable, to Desktop, Portable, and Pocket?

I've been thinking that the portables field is now overbroad. Some "portables" are more like non-electric desktops, while others are true pocket vapes. By rebranding portables, I think it could open up design possibilities and help to expand this market.

For example, is the Mighty or Zion a portable the same way the pax 2 is portable? And while some would prefer not be tethered to an electric outlet, they don't plan to carry their "home" vape with them.

 

[sativasam]

Interesting point.

In terms of the Mighty, I just came back from the park and the pub. I carried my Mighty inside the pocket of my jacket and also my jeans. Others might have smaller pockets or wear tighter clothes and so to them it is not a pocket vape. But in my personal opinion the Mighty is a real portable.

The Minivap although 'portable' is not going to fit in anyones pockets. I wouldn't feel comfortable using a vape like that in the park or the pub. I'd also have to have a bag for it!

 

[Mr. Me2]

Great example! I think that we the vape users would benefit from this type of rebranding. It would encourage designers and manufacturers to rethink each vape's likely use (how and where) which could open the creative design floodgates.

 

[ginolicious]

Anything is portable in theory. My Vapir Rise can be used in a car so long as I have an adapter to plug it into lol

 

[LarryYo]

You have a point any vaporizer can be portable if you really want it to lol. But yeah that classification would help a lot. Im still pretty new to vaporizers been using mine for a little over 2 months now and have been in love with it since i started. Now i want to learn more about it! its slowly becoming a hobby now...... a lot like how ecigs did... lol

 

[StormyPinkness]

I was thinking no, but you've made me change my mind. Short term a pocket vape tag could get used. Long term do 2 new categories go under portable or do you get rid of it entirely and make 2 more? Or keep pocket vapes in portable and move the rest to a new one? Maybe 2 is too narrow.

 

[Scott A]

Anything is portable in theory. My Vapir Rise can be used in a car so long as I have an adapter to plug it into lol

Exactly. I have a battery pack for my underdog so I guess it could be considered portable. Would be my choice as far as portables go lol.

 

[LarryYo]

I think the more we think about it the more we can classify other devices. ive seen this happen over the course of time in a lot the vaping forums that i would be in.

 

[Mr. Me2]

Truth is vapes could be categorized any number of ways: e.g., by heating method (electric powered, battery powered, butane powered), or like I suggested above. But when you look at websites, the big two usually are desktop and portable.

For me, I think I just would like to see some supercharged battery vapes (preferably convection). To make one with great flavor and great battery life, it seems that it would need to be big. I know there are some great truly portable ones (or on the cusp), but I'd love to see a bigger portable vape designed to show off on the coffee table.

And what I'm really proposing is to try and get manufacturers/retailers buy in. I think the result could be another wave of great vapes that are nothing like what's been released to date.

 

[pakalolo]

What do the people here think about encouraging manufacturers, retailers, and others to modify their descriptions and categories of vapes from Desktop and Portable, to Desktop, Portable, and Pocket?

I've been thinking that the portables field is now overbroad. Some "portables" are more like non-electric desktops, while others are true pocket vapes. By rebranding portables, I think it could open up design possibilities and help to expand this market.

For example, is the Mighty or Zion a portable the same way the pax 2 is portable? And while some would prefer not be tethered to an electric outlet, they don't plan to carry their "home" vape with them.

The distinction we have now is clear: either it plugs in for power, or the power is self-contained. I for one do not want to be the arbiter of which devices are pocketable and which are not. It isn't something that is inherently obvious and there will always be a fuzzy area between them, making for much grief for moderators.

 

[Mr. Me2]

The distinction we have now is clear: either it plugs in for power, or the power is self-contained. I for one do not want to be the arbiter of which devices are pocketable and which are not. It isn't something that is inherently obvious and there will always be a fuzzy area between them, making for much grief for moderators.

I agree that plug in and self contained power creates a clear line in the sand. And I'm not suggesting any change to the FC site.

What I'd like to encourage is vape manufacturer/designer creativity when planning the next best vape. If they see a market for "self contained power desktop vapes", I'd hope we would benefit from this potentially expanded market.