I disagree. Technology that answers consumers' needs is accepted. Don't tell me that the record timer interface on a VCR/DVD (or the tuning interface on an early one) is a brilliantly easy-to-use-for-J6P piece of work. But it was answering a need, so people accepted it.

iDrive - same story. Have you counted the number of buttons you'd need to replace it? Whether you'd really need them all, or whether some functions would be better left "out in the open", we can debate. But as a piece of interface simplification, it's pretty good.

 

I think your argument is based on a false premise...

J6P can't figure out the internet, a DVD player, the TV remote, a cell phone, etc. Sure, they may be able to "get by" with some of these things but I think the vast majority of non-geek people out there only know how to use a small subset of the features on these devices. Can they figure out how to store or retrieve names from their cell phones? I know way too many people who can't. Can they switch it from ring to vibrate? Not really. Can they program the v-chip on their televisions? Can they program their VCR to record a show? Again, I know way too many people who have to have their fifteen-year-old program their electronic devices for them (including iPods.)

iDrive is full of features -- the more features you have with these types of things, the less J6P will be able to use them all. It's the same with software -- J6P might be able to use a word processing package but they're likely to not use all the features and in addition, they might not use it the way the designers intended it, etc.

I think the part that's tricky is that when I think of "J6P", I have to think in terms of a "target market J6P", not a collective group of people.

In other words, in the case of the 7-series iDrive, the typical consumer of that car (or the "J6P of 7-series buyers") was clearly not tech-savvy enough to deal with this type of interface. It's quite likely that the J6P of fifteen-year-old kids could figure it out easily but they weren't part of the target market of a 7-series or iDrive.

Refinements to these systems can help but I think user adaptation and acceptance play an important role as well. As time ticks, the end-user gets a little more tech savvy each day. The typical buyer of these cars will slowly be able to deal with this kind of stuff simply because they've had more exposure to these types of things. The first iDrive interface was certainly an ambitious undertaking and BMW was clearly ahead of the times. If they would have introduced iDrive in the 3-series first, it would have probably been met with less resistance from the younger demographic...

 

I am not saying buttons are better. I am saying BMW should not have cheaped out and should have hired high quality software provider experienced in high quality human interface design. iDrive concept is right. iDrive user interface implementation is a disaster. There is nothing complex there, implementation of good user interface on a small device controlled by a single button is nothing new, look at any decent smartphone or PDA. It seems like iDrive UI designer haven't read basic books on industrial design.

 

Really? My PDA did better in 1998. My smartphone has been doing significantly better since 2003. Maybe BMW should send someone for internship at Apple.

I think real answer is: BMW management is harware, automotive people. There is no one there who understands computer software and high quality, efficient computer interfaces. Same problem at Audi and MB. Lexus actually is doing better, but still not quite there.

 

No, Lexus is not. I drove the hybrid SUV for a week (nice getting 60 mpg). The interface was infuriating. The voice command system was useless. In addition, because it's a touchscreen, 95% of all functionality is not available when the car is in motion.

Right now I'm driving the Jag XK and it's ahead of Lexus, some aspects of the UI are better than iDrive, but overall I think it's safe to say that all of these systems are in need of a significant overhaul.

 

Actually, I personally prefer touchscreens. I guess Lexus lawyers forced disabling it when vehicle is in motion. Back to 8-way vs. 4-way. I guess BMW wanted to allow operation without taking eyes off the road. Otherwise 2x4 oe 3x4 icon array where focus moves around with controller rotation would work better.


I think primary iDrive problem is making all functions roughly equally accessible while obviously people change entertainment source more often than Nav destination and I bet 90% more often listen to FM and CD that to AM or, God forbid, WB.

I thought the other day that Nav system could be much better if it sorted list of destinations in a smart way. For example, it is Friday evening 10pm. I am getting into a car. Home should be on top of the list within a single click access. But if I am in Canada 500 miles from home, then last visited hotel should be on top of the list. If I am at the office, not need to show home as destination - I surely know how to get there (and the other way around). It is weekend morning or afternoon and I am in a downtown of my home town - at lunchtime show me restaurants and at 3pm show me shopping places. Not my home town - show me attractions. And so on.

 

You have a good feel for UI. What would your tree structure look like?

 

Hey... that's why you can choose do that from the steering column programmable button!

ABC

 

Gimme couple of days...

 

OK, here is one of the possible solutions:

Few major concepts are underused in iDrive UI approach: placements to most frequently used operations closer, shortcuts/presets right on the start screen (think icons on your Windows desktop / OS X dock) and hidden hardware buttons (as used in Lexus and in some TV/Audio remote controls).

Tree structure is largely irrelevant since it is only used when something out of the ordinary routine is required. What is important is to reduce number of clicks required to reach most popular functions. Programmable buttons as in LCI may help, but I believe that initial screen screen real estate is heavily underused: there are only 5 button on the initial page with only two (Entertainment and Phone) used frequently.

Therefore I'd rather place most heavily used functions and presets right there on initial screen and move less frequently used functions elsewhere and/or assign them to hardware buttons (possible hidden under a cover panel).For example, Settings button can be positioned between frontal air vents next to the triangle and door lock buttons. Or maybe door lock button could be moved to front doors as two identical buttons at driver and passenger sides and Settings button could replace it.

Now about what is on the screen. At the left I would place scrollable list of entertainment presets (my favorite stations from all bands, CD and iPod access buttons). At the bottom there is More... entry that brings current Entertainment screen. At the right there is scrollable list of entries from my phone book (all or only those I have marked as popular / frequently used in the address book). At the bottom of the list there is Dial... entry to dial numbers not in the phone book and More... that brings current Phone screen.

Now Left-scroll-click selects entertainment source. Right->scroll->click dials phone number. Nav button is at top, Climate at the center and Trip info / car computer data is at the bottom.

Bottom line: put whatever I use often right here on the start screen and hide anything I don't use. Left/right lists should be programmable - if someone uses Nav more often than radio, then left list could be list of Nav destinations. Or, if someone did not own BT phone, Nav and Entertainment lists would be more useful.

Speaking of clutter. I think there would be even less clutter if BMW replaced rotary temperature controls with up/down buttons and a digital display (C/F switchable). Nav DVD drive can be hidden somewhere out of sight (flash-based Nav is even better, flash is cheap these days). I don't think people change Nav DVD that often. Instead, it would be nice to have slot-loading 6-disk DVD changer (capable of playing MP3s DVDs, of course). 8 GB x 6 = 48 GB or music could be placed on DVDs, eliminating trouble of managing iPod connection in many cases.