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Previous: Japanese warning signs | Main | Next: Page-not-found error
February 20, 2005 10:36 AM
Broken: User interfaces in new cars
In Dumbing Down Over-Engineered Cars (reg. required), the New York Times reports:
With even economy cars now loaded with features that beep or blink at their owners, many drivers have reason for frustration. Most car owners are not even aware that the remote doesn't have to make a loud noise every time it arms the alarm, that the automatic seat and mirror adjustments can be turned off or that it is possible to disable the irritating feature that automatically locks all the doors. In theory, these "conveniences" can all be adjusted or canceled... the process is rarely intuitive.
Dovy,
The NY Times where the article is requires you to register (free) to view their news sources. Whether that is broken or not is open to interpretation, but isn't what this posting is about. :D
The setting of options in cars is impaired by the lack of good input mechanisms. As a result, we end up with odd button press combinations to set options. And they must be odd so that they cannot be done accidentally.
As for mandatory registration for the NY Times or anything else, consider bugmenot.com
Also, 'the lack of input mechanisms' is quite often intentional, since these items are usually set once (based on preference) and forgotten - negating the need for an extra row of buttons on the dash etc. Many user preferences are easily set using the dealer's diag. handheld machine, and this can be done for little or no charge at the dealer, esp if he is interested in stealing your future business by being friendly ))). The warning lights discussed here previously are another animal alltogether, as they quite often mean different things from car to car. This is no excuse to not understand what they mean and conveniently ignore them, however.
I'm looking forward to the day when cars come with a large remote control that allows all these options to be accessible through one panel.
And by "I'm looking forward to," I mean "I dread."
Too bad everyone is apparently too stupid to read the intruction manual, which tells you exactly to turn off the annoying as heck "lock-you-in" feature. Or anything else...It's actually kind of fun. You have to do stuff like unlock the door three times, honk once, unlock it twice, stuff like that.
Is it bad that I don't understand what it is about this post that implies "broken"? Isn't the point of these features of a car that they provide you with conveniences? And isn't it further the point of these features that they be tailorable for the owner's own needs and tastes? What am I missing? Is it also bad that I'm an engineer and don't get this? lol...
Now we have a new reason for being late for work... "Sir, I was tweaking the accessories in my car over the weekend when I plugged my cell phone into the cig lighter and downloaded new beeps and stuff and caught some virus. This morning my dash read 'ignition not found' and 'windows is now shutting down'."
For my car (Chevy Impala), the process of adjusting those settings is clearly described in the owners manual. That option aside, what should a manufacturer do?
(A) Not provide the option of change? I like the automatic door locks, others don't. I don't want my car to beep when I lock it, others do. Choice is good.
(B) Write the directions on the dashboard? Not only would that be ugly, I'd have to endure that ugliness for the life of the car despite using the directions only once or twice. I can't see anyone wanting to adjust them often enough to want the directions on the dash but rarely enough to not remember each time.
My 1997 escort has a few beeps but other than that it is good. here is a typical start routine
*open door light goes on, get in and insert key, key inserted turn to on, 3 beeps and a wirr from the fuel pump before turning the car on*
Now hte 3 beeps are supposed to be after you turn it on but i perfer to have them beep before i start up incase a odd noise comes from the engine bay. It only beeps for door open or lights on. the ford stereo did not beep when you shut it off tho unlike the sony that beeps so you do not forget you have a fancier stereo.
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Previous: Japanese warning signs | Main | Next: Page-not-found error
Hmm... Imagine a car owner going down a thousand-item list.
"Beep when I lock the doors...check
Beep when I start the engine...check
Beep when I turn the radio on...check
Beep when I move the door...check
Beep so loudly when I leave the interior lights on that the alarm of every other car in a 500-meter radius goes on...check
Posted by: fuzzy at February 20, 2005 02:03 PM