Power vs flexibility in software

Brent Simmons on designing software and what we can learn from iOS apps:

You don’t spend your time skinning your audio player anymore, in other words. You just play music. And you do other things while the music’s playing.

I think it's absolutely right. Figuring the exact right configuration of the system and its features so people don't need the flexibility is the challenge.

There's always going to be customers and users asking for the flexibility, and they're often going to be among the more vocal ones, but it's our job to not heed them, for the benefit of the greater number of users.

(Via DF)