運用新技術的產品一定比原生態的手工產品好嗎？有些人說，不是這樣的。比如，廚房里常用的開罐器，還是那種老式的、手動的簡單好用，而且廉價；新式的電動開罐器反倒讓開罐頭這件事變得復雜了。于是，electric-can-opener question這樣一個說法就誕生了。

　　Electric-can-opener question? refers to the recognition that some older, low-tech products are superior to the newer, high-tech products that are supposed to replace them.

　　“電動開罐器問題”指一些老式的、技術含量低的產品反而優于那些意欲取代它們的新生代高科技產品的狀況。

　　The model for this phrase is, of course, the electric can opener, which most people consider to be markedly inferior to the cheaper and easier-to-use manual can opener. Why pay more money to buy something which you know to be inferior to an older, cheaper technology?

　　這個說法的來源自然就是，很多人都認為電動開罐器根本沒有廉價的手動開罐器好用。所以，為什么非要多花錢買一些你自知沒有老式、廉價技術好用的東西呢？