Comments on: computers everywhere: ford sync and myford puts a computer in a car http://audiophonik.com/computers-everywhere-computers-in-your-car/ the personal blog of Phil Downey Sun, 04 Jul 2010 01:20:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: delta touch faucet is a good application of touch technology | audiophonik http://audiophonik.com/computers-everywhere-computers-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-400 delta touch faucet is a good application of touch technology | audiophonik Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:04:27 +0000 http://audiophonik.net/?p=37#comment-400 [...] be used because its new and exciting. A couple of weeks back I highlighted some concerns over the use of touch technology in cars. Since then I had the opportunity to attend the Interior Design Show 2010 in Toronto. While I was [...] [...] be used because its new and exciting. A couple of weeks back I highlighted some concerns over the use of touch technology in cars. Since then I had the opportunity to attend the Interior Design Show 2010 in Toronto. While I was [...]

]]> By: Phil http://audiophonik.com/computers-everywhere-computers-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-378 Phil Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:47:13 +0000 http://audiophonik.net/?p=37#comment-378 I agree and disagree. Climate control I believe should be relegated to controls like buttons and dials, however with SYNC providing control for audio through voice commands and through the steering wheel, I don't see a problem with them being controlled by a touchscreen on the actual display so as to free up some real estate in that area. From what I can tell, SYNC has got this half right - the audio playback is done through the touchscreen, and the climate controls are handled by other physical controls. My problem with the car design is that these other controls are operated by touch sensitive areas. These are not traditional touch screens, just an area that is receptive to touch. Its a really neat tech, however the novelty wears off quickly. I can speak from experience on this touch-area technology, as I have the same tech on my new TV. At first it seemed cool, but now I've noticed its a pain to turn off my TV at night. The way my living room is laid out, the switch for the lights is closer to the couch than my room so I often hit the lights first, then turn off the TV on my way to bed. I use to be able to walk by and turn off my old TV by feeling for the raised button, now however, I can't tell where the button is, because for some reason the touch buttons don't have lights indicating where they are. I have to either bust out my phone to use as a light, or just paw around the corner of my TV until its does its little power-down chime. In this MyFord setup, there are lights on the buttons sure, but the driver also can't dedicate their attention to determining what the button does either. Maybe it'll just be a matter of conditioning, but I see it as an area where a lot of drivers will take their eyes off the road to do a task they use to be able to do without thinking. I agree and disagree. Climate control I believe should be relegated to controls like buttons and dials, however with SYNC providing control for audio through voice commands and through the steering wheel, I don’t see a problem with them being controlled by a touchscreen on the actual display so as to free up some real estate in that area. From what I can tell, SYNC has got this half right – the audio playback is done through the touchscreen, and the climate controls are handled by other physical controls.

My problem with the car design is that these other controls are operated by touch sensitive areas. These are not traditional touch screens, just an area that is receptive to touch. Its a really neat tech, however the novelty wears off quickly. I can speak from experience on this touch-area technology, as I have the same tech on my new TV. At first it seemed cool, but now I’ve noticed its a pain to turn off my TV at night.

The way my living room is laid out, the switch for the lights is closer to the couch than my room so I often hit the lights first, then turn off the TV on my way to bed. I use to be able to walk by and turn off my old TV by feeling for the raised button, now however, I can’t tell where the button is, because for some reason the touch buttons don’t have lights indicating where they are. I have to either bust out my phone to use as a light, or just paw around the corner of my TV until its does its little power-down chime. In this MyFord setup, there are lights on the buttons sure, but the driver also can’t dedicate their attention to determining what the button does either.

Maybe it’ll just be a matter of conditioning, but I see it as an area where a lot of drivers will take their eyes off the road to do a task they use to be able to do without thinking.

]]> By: Jonathan http://audiophonik.com/computers-everywhere-computers-in-your-car/comment-page-1/#comment-377 Jonathan Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:40:59 +0000 http://audiophonik.net/?p=37#comment-377 You touched on what I see as the basic problem with the current state of in-car computers - touch screens don't work well for drivers. There is a reason that car interfaces have traditionally sported large, textured dials and sliders for climate controls. They make it easier for drivers concentrating on the road to fumble around until they find what they're looking for. One of my family members drives a Prius, and I can attest that it's touch screen set up, through which all of the climate and audio settings are controlled, is clumsy at best for the driver on the go. It causes a lot of looking away from the road, and could probably be deemed unsafe. While I too love the idea of a smart computer in my car that connects to my cellphone, streams music, and automates hands-free calling, I don't think that a touch screen is the correct GUI paradigm for this application. You touched on what I see as the basic problem with the current state of in-car computers – touch screens don’t work well for drivers.
There is a reason that car interfaces have traditionally sported large, textured dials and sliders for climate controls. They make it easier for drivers concentrating on the road to fumble around until they find what they’re looking for.
One of my family members drives a Prius, and I can attest that it’s touch screen set up, through which all of the climate and audio settings are controlled, is clumsy at best for the driver on the go. It causes a lot of looking away from the road, and could probably be deemed unsafe.
While I too love the idea of a smart computer in my car that connects to my cellphone, streams music, and automates hands-free calling, I don’t think that a touch screen is the correct GUI paradigm for this application.

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