didn't read the manual at first... just started toying with the idrive and found it to be very intuitive. i think i figured out 90% of it's fuctions on my own.

i think some of us take idrive for granted at times. it really opens up so many doors in terms of adjustments and settings. ie. i had an e46 sedan a few years back. the car's daytime running lights (drl) weren't activated and the dealer charged me a "programming" fee to turn them on. he said if i ever wanted them turned off, i'd have to drop off the car at the dealer again, and pay another fee. :bash: obviously, with idrive, we can change this setting amongst others with ease. the force-feedback control also adds a very nice touch.

i agree that it's a bit slow, but all-in-all i like it a lot. :thumbsup:

iDrive is good, but execution is worst:
1. If car with CCC, in other words, with Professional Nav, it's freaking slow, and I found it's unacceptable - This is due to CAN bus which is max at 1Mbps, but normally, it's normal transfer rate about 1/4 or 1/3 or that. New generation should be either USB2.0 or Firewires to over come slowness

2. Menu structure change stupidly. Just go to CD changer, say CD1 during playing iPod, and if you want to change to AM, for example, you have to a lot of iDrive know command to get to AM menu. I know I can use voice command or steering wheel programmable button, but it's just rediculously stupid.

3. Sometime, I want to go straight to iPod song list while it's playing by pulling and holding iDrive knob southward, and nothing happing. It's not sensitive enough.

There is nothing BMW can do with existing E60 CAN bus at the moment. Hopefully, 03/2007 build car will have new bus structure and faster CIP programming.

I agree with ImolaRedM that if giving me choice b/w Denso touch screen and BMW iDrive, I'd choose Denso touch screen any day and live with fingerprint mark and fading under direct sunlight.

My non-nav iDrive in my previous 530i was very fast, and I like it's speed very much. I've been told that Nav/CCC in E90 is as fast as E60 non-nav iDrive. Is it true? If that is the case, what is going wrong with E60? Can BMW address that issue with outgoing E60?

Absolutely. Just try to turn the controller with the car switched off, and you soon realise how much there is going on under that knob. Even the nice little touches like the "centre" click in the tone/balance/fader controls.

But the reaction speed... :thumbsdown:

I have E90 with Nav.... and iDrive seems about the same speed as my E60. If anything, it's only marginally faster. But certainly not enough that I have noticed.

I think you'll find ImolaRedM is not in agreement... :rolleyes:

WTH? I did not read it well before getting my coffee :wall: Mine is not agreed with ImolaRedM. You're right! :thumbsup:

lol... my thoughts exactly!

That's the most important thing and wraps it all :D
What's more important than that?! :lol:
Best remark yet... :thumbsup:

iDrive is OK. I can see why so many have problems with it. I use a lot of technology. And, I am not overly impressed with its menus and certainly not with its processor speed.

If you can't figure out the iDrive, then you're too damned old. :P