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"the cockpits of the most high-tech airplanes are still laden with analogue dials, levers and knobs" , too bad car manufacturers aren't so careful with their in

by throw7 9y ago

"the cockpits of the most high-tech airplanes are still laden with analogue dials, levers and knobs" , too bad car manufacturers aren't so careful with their infotainment consoles. I'm lucky I still have knobs/buttons on mine, but the more expensive console option did away with all of that and uses an infuriating touch screen slider for the volume... that even must be navigated to to operate.

std_throwaway 9y ago
You can accurately adjust a rotating knob without looking. They have real benefits that you can't replace with software.
- BartSaM 9y ago
  Too bad more and more car manufacturers moved into gizmo mode. I think I will never buy tablet-car that have no physical knobs for basics controls.
  - logfromblammo 9y ago
    I even see a large dropoff in usability between my commuter vehicle, which has knobs and levers, and my spouse's vehicle, which has buttons. What makes it worse is that they are unlit buttons. I can quite easily adjust the environmental controls in my vehicle without looking at them, or with a brief glance. In the other car, which I generally only drive at night anyway, I have to at minimum turn on the map light, and sometimes have to stop the car and look down at the mess of 20 identical-feel buttons to push the correct one. The button I really hate is the "mode" button. It is furthest from the driver's seat, and switches between defrost, defrost + low vents, high vents, high vents + low vents, low vents. It doesn't click or beep or give any kind of audio signal. You can't tell by feel. You can either look down at the LCD display to see what it's doing, or you can wait a few seconds for the actuators to adjust the airflow, and then hit the button again if it wasn't what you wanted. This button's function is fulfilled by a knob in my car, and I prefer it that way. I can't even imagine a touchscreen that doesn't even have the tactile-kinesthetic advantage of the fixed-position buttons. How many seconds will I need to look away from the road in order to turn on the AC and blow it at the inside of the windshield if the glass starts to fog up on a hot, humid night?
woobar 9y ago
Is there a car with a touch screen but without volume controls on the steering wheel? Carmakers are racing to add more and more buttons [1] [1] http://uploads.haystak.com/Production_Templates/Images/2017/Lincoln/17lincolnmkz_adplanner/lincoln_17mkz_steeringwheel.jpg http://uploads.haystak.com/Production_Templates/Images/2017/...

by throw7 9y ago

std_throwaway 9y ago

You can accurately adjust a rotating knob without looking. They have real benefits that you can't replace with software.

BartSaM 9y ago
Too bad more and more car manufacturers moved into gizmo mode. I think I will never buy tablet-car that have no physical knobs for basics controls.
- logfromblammo 9y ago
  I even see a large dropoff in usability between my commuter vehicle, which has knobs and levers, and my spouse's vehicle, which has buttons. What makes it worse is that they are unlit buttons. I can quite easily adjust the environmental controls in my vehicle without looking at them, or with a brief glance. In the other car, which I generally only drive at night anyway, I have to at minimum turn on the map light, and sometimes have to stop the car and look down at the mess of 20 identical-feel buttons to push the correct one. The button I really hate is the "mode" button. It is furthest from the driver's seat, and switches between defrost, defrost + low vents, high vents, high vents + low vents, low vents. It doesn't click or beep or give any kind of audio signal. You can't tell by feel. You can either look down at the LCD display to see what it's doing, or you can wait a few seconds for the actuators to adjust the airflow, and then hit the button again if it wasn't what you wanted. This button's function is fulfilled by a knob in my car, and I prefer it that way. I can't even imagine a touchscreen that doesn't even have the tactile-kinesthetic advantage of the fixed-position buttons. How many seconds will I need to look away from the road in order to turn on the AC and blow it at the inside of the windshield if the glass starts to fog up on a hot, humid night?

woobar 9y ago

Is there a car with a touch screen but without volume controls on the steering wheel? Carmakers are racing to add more and more buttons [1] [1] http://uploads.haystak.com/Production_Templates/Images/2017/Lincoln/17lincolnmkz_adplanner/lincoln_17mkz_steeringwheel.jpg http://uploads.haystak.com/Production_Templates/Images/2017/...