Many advanced hardware products struggle with complexity because they try to embed a massive amount of functionality behind a few multi-use buttons. Using physical scales like those from Brewista or Acaia as examples, users often have to keep the instruction manual nearby because it is incredibly easy to accidentally activate a buried menu mode. Migrating to a screen powered by a software application solves this problem by using dedicated menu buttons, charts, and clear graphics to translate deep device complexity into a simple, legible visual interface.
When a piece of hardware is manufactured with fixed internal firmware, the software cannot evolve effectively. Decent included a tablet because they recognized that any software released at the machine's initial launch would eventually be considered outdated several years later. By isolating the interface on an app-driven screen, Decent is able to constantly push updates and completely iterate how users interact with, control, and receive feedback from their espresso machine based on continuous feedback from the community.
The primary advantage of an open-ended software interface is the ability to introduce entirely new core capabilities to the hardware years after a customer has purchased it. For instance, Decent recently introduced "steam profiling," allowing users to save and automate the exact intensity of steam required for a specific drink. While traditional high-end commercial levers can feel fantastic, they lack memory; with the tablet, a user can program a gentle, linear power profile for a small Piccolo latte, adjust it on the fly, and then hit "play again" to perfectly replicate it every morning.
Real-time steam profiling allows baristas to seamlessly adjust the machine's behavior to match the volume of milk being textured. Texturing a tiny volume of milk for a Piccolo latte requires much less aggression than a full 10-ounce café latte, which demands stronger steam power to effectively heat and circulate the larger volume. Because of the software's adaptability, even customers who purchased their Decent Espresso machine six years prior can immediately download the newest beta update and access this precise milk texturing control.