bpg
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Post by bpg on Mar 8, 2024 9:45:52 GMT
You can't go on many car related websites without coming across comments about the migration from physical buttons to big screens and functions being moved. I know most cars now have voice activated facilities to do most of what previously required a button push. I'm old, I still like my HVAC, heated seats/windscreen etc where I can press a button, part of the reason why I do not have the latest version of my Focus. NCAP have thrown their cap into the ring: arstechnica.com/cars/2024/03/carmakers-must-bring-back-buttons-to-get-good-safety-scores-in-europe/ |
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Buttons
Mar 8, 2024 9:52:04 GMT
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Post by Humph on Mar 8, 2024 9:52:04 GMT
I like a button. Although I must confess I haven’t yet (hey it’s only been 8 years) got around to checking what all the ones in my car actually do.
😬
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Mar 8, 2024 10:18:32 GMT
I found, last year as I was thinking of getting rid of my Volvo, if you press '*' when in the map screen it blows the map up to full screen view removing the heated seats symbols and heating settings from the bottom of the screen and outside temperature and radio/meeja information from the top. Press it again and it shrinks back. Who knew ?
It's a shame Volvo stopped doing map updates for my car, the last one being four years ago. I now have my phone mounted just below the screen to use Waze and stream radio/music. The inset screen is only used to display an mpg bar chart now, everything else has been replaced by the phone.
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Post by EspadaIII on Mar 8, 2024 10:58:35 GMT
The principal reason I rejected Tesla, was the lack of buttons for items where it was utterly stupid not to have the immediately to hand - such as: -
Mirror controls
Heated rear window/heated mirror
Internal temperature control
Internal door lock control
Most other things operate either by an auto setting or are not so vital that they take a few seconds to find on a screen.
The door mirror controls in the Tesla p****d me off totally. Press the screen, find the right page, tell it which mirror you want to move, then fiddle with buttons(!) on the steering wheel, press the screen again to return to the page you were on originally.
I really like the mix of screen and buttons in the I5 and the one change I would make to the system, they are dealing with in the latest version (heated seats/wheel), but they are voice activated as well already.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Mar 8, 2024 12:03:10 GMT
And on a Model 3 and soon Model Y, you don't have proper indicators nor a physical gear selector (slide your finger on the screen).
The BMW 3 series I had sort of got it right - small physical controls plus a very good iDrive on version 7 of the software. Version 8 has removed the physical buttons.
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WDB
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Buttons
Mar 8, 2024 12:22:39 GMT
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Post by WDB on Mar 8, 2024 12:22:39 GMT
I found, last year as I was thinking of getting rid of my Volvo, if you press '*' … Similarly, I quite often use the nav in the CLS to monitor progress and time to arrival, even where I know where I’m going — when I don’t need Fräulein Navi telling me to “Prepare to go straight.” Turning her off requires a voice command of “Guidance instructions off,” which feels daft on my own and more so if I have passengers. But I discovered quite by accident that if, while she’s speaking, I press the mute button on the steering wheel, she falls silent and stays that way. It’s probably in the manual but I hadn’t found it. |
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Buttons
Mar 8, 2024 13:27:13 GMT
via mobile
Post by Humph on Mar 8, 2024 13:27:13 GMT
I found, last year as I was thinking of getting rid of my Volvo, if you press '*' … Similarly, I quite often use the nav in the CLS to monitor progress and time to arrival, even where I know where I’m going — when I don’t need Fräulein Navi telling me to “Prepare to go straight.” Turning her off requires a voice command of “Guidance instructions off,” which feels daft on my own and more so if I have passengers. But I discovered quite by accident that if, while she’s speaking, I press the mute button on the steering wheel, she falls silent and stays that way. It’s probably in the manual but I hadn’t found it. I prod that button in mine. Most of the time I pretty much know where I’m going so I don’t want the verbal abuse from Brunhilde, but it’s handy having the route on the screen. |
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Post by EspadaIII on Mar 8, 2024 15:43:07 GMT
Exactly. The route from home to the place in the Lakes is obvious and well known. I have the Nav on precisely for the reasons mentioned; keeping track of progress and ETA. Very very occasionally we have taken a Nav recommended diversion to avoid traffic. But mainly it's to know if the drive is 1hr 15mins or 1hr 30mins.
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