Firmware 8.0 - For Classic Model S

[TexasEV]

I wonder if Tesla has anyone working on user interface who is over age 40, or at least is aware of user interface issues for people middle age and older. The flat design may be the latest fad for computers and phones, but it's not as good for a fraction of a second glance while driving as having button icons to give visual clues. Also, and probably more importantly, the text of the new UI is hard for older eyes to read. The combination of a very thin typeface and grey text on white background makes it harder to read as a quick glance while driving, compared to all the previous firmware versions.

This gray on white was a problem with the new forum design at TMC too, and the TMC administrators changed if after a few complaints here. Let's hope Tesla does the same.

 

[steve841]

Not to squash your optimism, but Tesla seemed to "realize what they'd done" with 7.0 and promised corrections that never came (not even in 8.0). So...

I know.. hence my sarcasm of "maybe not."

 

[Cyclone]

Finally, someone upthread mentioned using search. Unfortunately, the USB device is not searched.

Despite the search box having the audacity of saying it will search anything!

 

[jcaspar]

So now it takes two taps what used to be accomplished in one tap. Why does anyone think that's an improvement?

The disappearing app icons only happens when the map is on the top half or full screen. Easy to no just not put it there if two taps is difficult. And on mine at least, a tap anywhere on the map brings back the icons. I have to say, only having used 8.0 for 12 hours, I really like the larger map feature. Makes the old screen look small!

 

[iffatall]

The estimated charge remaining at destination now seems to stay on permanently on the touch screen navigation panel. Anyway to get rid of it, and get it back when needed?

 

[UberEV1]

I noticed a recurring "Loading Error" on podcasts that would not resolve, even after an hour (i.e. some podcasts would not play at all). This was working yesterday, but not this evening. Anyone else notice this?

 

[GeekGirls]

There is, right? Just tap anywhere at the top of the screen that's not one of the buttons you mention.

I spent a little more time experimenting today and the reality is somewhat baffling but a definite improvement on my initial assumptions. It appears you can tap anywhere except the top strip of the screen. Tapping between the active buttons in that strip does nothing at all, which seems unnecessarily stubborn. On the other hand, I like the automatic zooming in and out as you move from freeway to surface roads and back without a destination set.

I really like the improvements to voice control, and I'm hopeful about the media player redesign since it wasn't exactly spectacular before and has had some distinct improvements design-wise. Since I've done little more than listen to podcasts via Bluetooth so far I wouldn't say I've really put it through its paces.

 

[kevincwelch]

Does anyone else's touchscreen now stay on after exiting the car? Walked away and notice the light in the car. Walk away lock is enabled. Manually locked the car. Couldn't find an option to leave the screen on or off, although I could have overlooked it.

 

[Cyclone]

Does anyone else's touchscreen now stay on after exiting the car? Walked away and notice the light in the car. Walk away lock is enabled. Manually locked the car. Couldn't find an option to leave the screen on or off, although I could have overlooked it. View attachment 196638

Just to make sure, you do not have anything in the passenger seat to make the car think there is someone sitting there, right?

 

[omarsultan]

The estimated charge remaining at destination now seems to stay on permanently on the touch screen navigation panel. Anyway to get rid of it, and get it back when needed?

There is a checkbox on one of the settings screens, but don't remember exactly where right now.

 

[Cyclone]

There is a checkbox on one of the settings screens, but don't remember exactly where right now.

I thought the checkbox was for the Round Trip estimate though, not the destination estimate that @iffatall is asking about (though maybe that is what s/he meant and just wrote the wrong thing)

 

[Benjamin Brooks]

There is a checkbox on one of the settings screens, but don't remember exactly where right now.

That's only for the round trip charge remaining estimate. The destination charge % estimate is always there now (not configurable).
Not sure why that info on Nav would be distracting, especially if you need to watch it for low battery range anxiety reasons...

 

[gaswalla]

The new slider under charging is really difficult to use and a step backword. Why the complex graphics and miniscule slider button.

 

[iffatall]

There is a checkbox on one of the settings screens, but don't remember exactly where right now.

That's only for the round trip charge remaining estimate. The destination charge % estimate is always there now (not configurable).
Not sure why that info on Nav would be distracting, especially if you need to watch it for low battery range anxiety reasons...

I thought the checkbox was for the Round Trip estimate though, not the destination estimate that @iffatall is asking about (though maybe that is what s/he meant and just wrote the wrong thing)

That's right. I was asking about the destination charge estimate. The checkbox only removes the round trip estimate.

I use the map only on the top half of the touch screen. The charge % only leaves space for 1-2 steps in navigation. I don't understand why the estimate needs to take up that much space if it has to sit there permanently. I liked the previous presentation of it much better. It look little space, and could be dismissed and brought back as and when needed.

 

[iffatall]

Also, by the way, it looks like they have changed the shade of blue used to show the Bluetooth connected status, and now the blue is closer to gray! In sunlight, it almost looks like 'Bluetooth non connected' status. This is another change that makes no sense to me. Did someone think they were making it too easy for us?

(Just kidding. It's no big deal when compared to the other new issues introduced.)

 

[artsci]

Based on all of these comments I don't think I'll download 8.0 when it's made available to me. Sound like a major step backwards or maybe into a black hole. This is what happens when graphic design takes precedent over functionality.

 

[gaswalla]

Technically, you won't install it.. it's automatically downloaded

 

[zmansbr]

I filed my complaint with Tesla on this too.

I just don't see what they actually improved in the media player at all - except for Streaming stuff - which nobody uses because they certainly have their own solutions. If it ain't broke... Its like they just had some lone engineer code up whatever came to mind with nobody looking at design or testing.

I think I'll just have to revert to Playing from my phone - load all my music files on it. But this is sort of like using a skinny spare tire permanently due their unusable changes. They used to beta test this stuff with people.

other broken things:

• Doesn't remember your context in USB mode when you change sources and come back. You have to start all over again with your hunting.
• The whole paradigm of the Music UI is hard to visually parse because they went so minimalist, it takes significant effort to figure out what is what. What controls are they intending you to see and press? It all just a bunch of random lines, glyphs and stuff.
• Listing out artists in two columns of text is horrible - nobody visually parses text that way. Where did the album cover art and artist art go?
• Selecting your specific phone in phone mode appears broken. You tap it and it does nothing. Bad UI.
• The back button "<" at the top left of the player has a very narrow hit zone make it tough to tap.

 

[apacheguy]

So certainly not the biggest update since 3.5 as promised by Elon. That's my take away from the comments here. I'll stay on 7.1 until Tesla sorts out their game.

 

[tinm]

(1) Listening to the radio or TuneIn stations. I cannot find a way to use the up and down buttons on the left side of the steering wheel while listening to radio/TuneIn anymore. Which means to change stations, I have to take my eyes off the road, reach over to the screen, and try to find in a horizontal list of square logos that are in no order whatsoever--certainly not in the order I had 'em in pre-8.0 (all my work!)--the station I wanna switch to. In Pre-8.0, I just used up-button or down-button to switch, and it quickly becomes muscle memory, and I can to Up-Up-Up-Up and I know that four stations from where I was takes me to say some NPR station or something. Forget that, it seems, in 8.0.

Did some more testing today and now realize I was wrong regarding item (1) in my previous post.

There's good news and bad news. The good news is that the up and down buttons on left side of steering wheel DO in fact let you move forward and reverse through your list of TuneIn stations. The bad news is it's so slow (you have to HOLD the button for a sec or more) that it's useless compared to previous firmware releases. Also TuneIn is slower to tune in to and actually begin streaming a station--perhaps this latency is what is holding things up?

All I know is, I used to be able to tap Up Up Up Up quickly and land on the station 4 stations away in the list. The software was responsive and let me accomplish the task at near the speed of thought. Not so in 8.0.