Worst battery-driven product ever

We bought the Philips SC479 DECT baby monitor, and while the feature set is great (there are many we don’t use, but it has everything we need), it’s the physical features that kills its utility. Here’s what’s wrong with it:

• It drains the batteries even while switched off, so you have to physically remove the batteries. If you don’t, it won’t have power when you need it to.
• The batteries are very hard to remove. The compartment is a little too tight for the batteries to be removed without cracking your nails.
• The battery clip on the parent unit needs to be removed to get to the batteries, but it is so tight you have to use a screwdriver to clip it off. Breaking it completely is all too easy.

The clerk told us it was a well-known problem, when we complained. We’ve had ours exchanged once, but the problem remains. Oh, did I mention it’s butt-ugly, too?

It’s quite fascinating how a product that makes pretty good use of all that digital offers fumbles the basic physical properties. Philips has been making battery driven products for how long again?