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MKBHD touched on this, but it seems a lot of products are coming out whose value is partially justified by the promise of future features. Tesla does this too,

MKBHD touched on this, but it seems a lot of products are coming out whose value is partially justified by the promise of future features. Tesla does this too, trying to take my 2024 dollars for a feature which may or may not arrive sometime in the future. I call this a “tech tease”. When it arrives, I’ll pay for it. Until then, pony up for the R&D or take out a real loan or raise from VCs.

m463 3y ago
Tesla goes even further. It doesn't even ship hardware anymore, shifting to software. For example, there is no shifter stalk - software will guess if you want to go forward or reverse. Automatic lights/high beams and automatic wipers are really annoying. yes, it is helpful sometimes, but manual control can be key for good driving. Sometimes a good safe driver wants to flash their high beams, turn off their lights, or control the interval wiper speed. Nope.
- Kirby64 3y ago
  I’d agree there’s plenty of future promises for Tesla software especially around FSD, but the examples you all listed are just not true on a Tesla today. There’s a slider on the screen to let you pick forward or backward. No need to let software guess if you don’t want to. High beam flashing is a button on the steering wheel. And wiper control can be mapped to one of the scroll wheels, if you want manual control. There’s no real reason to turn off headlights in a quick manner, though. I don’t think that’s possible from the steering wheel… but using the screen to disable it while you’re parked seems not particularly onerous.
  - m463 3y ago
    You are describing screen controls which should be dedicated physical controls. Controlling shifting, headlights, wipers from screen controls gets in the way of you being a good driver. In my driving experience, I have required dedicated controls for these functions. Ever get mud on windshield? wiper fluid squirt switch. Over had to slow down or speed up wipers? interval switch. Ever had to turn on headlights due to signs requiring them? headlight switch ever had to turn off headlights to prevent blinding someone sitting inside a restaurant you're parking in front of? Ever had to flash headlights during the day to signal oncoming cars? headlight switch on/off flashing high beams is not necessarily what you want to do. might be something you don't want to do. I figure the only reason hazard lights are a dedicated switch is because the law requires it. tesla puts the switch in stupid places though. (I like tesla by the way, I just disagree with their direction/decisions when it comes to dedicated controls)
    - Kirby64 3y ago
      I guess we’d just disagree. Wiper fluid is already its own button on the steering wheel, and that’s pretty much the only one that I’d say it’s important to have a dedicated control (besides “mist” single wipe, which is the same button just not held…) Turning off headlights while parked at a restaurant seems like the quintessential thing that could be stuck on a screen control. Not needed often, no urgency to use it. And flashing high beams is if anything more important in the day than regular lights, since daytime headlights are harder to notice.
rsynnott 3y ago
I don't think it's even that; their value is that they are somewhere for VCs to put their money that has 'AI' in the title. That's it. That's what they're for.
hysan 3y ago
Why take a loan when you can use customers as an interest free loan without any obligation to pay it back if you fail? \s That’s pretty much what this ongoing trend towards releasing unfinished products is. It’s a way for companies to exploit customers even more and squeeze every last penny out of people. It’s probably worse than that too because it’s slowly shifting the norm and can result in every hype idea becoming a money grab.

m463 3y ago

Tesla goes even further. It doesn't even ship hardware anymore, shifting to software. For example, there is no shifter stalk - software will guess if you want to go forward or reverse. Automatic lights/high beams and automatic wipers are really annoying. yes, it is helpful sometimes, but manual control can be key for good driving. Sometimes a good safe driver wants to flash their high beams, turn off their lights, or control the interval wiper speed. Nope.

Kirby64 3y ago
I’d agree there’s plenty of future promises for Tesla software especially around FSD, but the examples you all listed are just not true on a Tesla today. There’s a slider on the screen to let you pick forward or backward. No need to let software guess if you don’t want to. High beam flashing is a button on the steering wheel. And wiper control can be mapped to one of the scroll wheels, if you want manual control. There’s no real reason to turn off headlights in a quick manner, though. I don’t think that’s possible from the steering wheel… but using the screen to disable it while you’re parked seems not particularly onerous.
- m463 3y ago
  You are describing screen controls which should be dedicated physical controls. Controlling shifting, headlights, wipers from screen controls gets in the way of you being a good driver. In my driving experience, I have required dedicated controls for these functions. Ever get mud on windshield? wiper fluid squirt switch. Over had to slow down or speed up wipers? interval switch. Ever had to turn on headlights due to signs requiring them? headlight switch ever had to turn off headlights to prevent blinding someone sitting inside a restaurant you're parking in front of? Ever had to flash headlights during the day to signal oncoming cars? headlight switch on/off flashing high beams is not necessarily what you want to do. might be something you don't want to do. I figure the only reason hazard lights are a dedicated switch is because the law requires it. tesla puts the switch in stupid places though. (I like tesla by the way, I just disagree with their direction/decisions when it comes to dedicated controls)
  - Kirby64 3y ago
    I guess we’d just disagree. Wiper fluid is already its own button on the steering wheel, and that’s pretty much the only one that I’d say it’s important to have a dedicated control (besides “mist” single wipe, which is the same button just not held…) Turning off headlights while parked at a restaurant seems like the quintessential thing that could be stuck on a screen control. Not needed often, no urgency to use it. And flashing high beams is if anything more important in the day than regular lights, since daytime headlights are harder to notice.

rsynnott 3y ago

I don't think it's even that; their value is that they are somewhere for VCs to put their money that has 'AI' in the title. That's it. That's what they're for.

hysan 3y ago

Why take a loan when you can use customers as an interest free loan without any obligation to pay it back if you fail? \s That’s pretty much what this ongoing trend towards releasing unfinished products is. It’s a way for companies to exploit customers even more and squeeze every last penny out of people. It’s probably worse than that too because it’s slowly shifting the norm and can result in every hype idea becoming a money grab.