Petition to demand "camera on top, media player on bottom" be retained in UI

[neroden]

Many of us use this layout; camera on all the time, and media player (or energy app) on, no map needed.

Messages from Tesla indicate that they are breaking this in "version 9" of the software by forcing the map to cover half the screen and only allowing one other app to be up at a time.

This is a petition from Tesla Model S owners.

Tesla: Don't make this change -- it constitutes damage to our cars, by removing valuable functionality. We demand that Tesla retain the ability to have the camera and media player apps up simultaneously, and we request that they maintain this in future versions of the software. If you do not retain this functionality, we demand permanent warranty support for cars running the older (full-functionality) version of the software.

Anyone who agrees, please add your name and whatever other identifiying information might be useful. We can also discuss how best to send this message to Tesla (who are notoriously poor at listenting to customers).

Nathanael Nerode
Tesla Model S owner since 2013

 

[neroden]

I am furious that Tesla keeps breaking software functionality (in "updates") on cars which are under warranty. It's really unacceptable.

 

[djgarrett21]

"Damage"..."demand"...

Comes across as a bit threatening. As you state, I guess you have the option not to update.

I do agree that the option to configure/retain functionality is a good thing. I think most can sign up for that so maybe rephrase along those lines.

 

[neroden]

Feel free to suggest a rephrase.

At this point, I'm close to being ready to sue Tesla -- they often refuse to fix other warranty issues if you haven't updated the software, so any breakage in the newer software versions is a warranty issue which they also refuse to fix -- so yeah, I'm feeling a bit threatening. Someone at Tesla needs to understand what they're doing (i.e. violating their warranty obligations).

But I'd really rather not sue them if I can just get their attention. If you've got a phrasing you think more people would sign on to, please suggest it.

 

[Trebek1762]

Count me in.

 

[azred]

What nonsense.

 

[DrMike]

I fully agree. I have no interest in having half the screen permanently dedicated to the map. 95% of my driving is in places I am very familiar with, and do not need a map. So I greatly prefer using that screen real estate for the media player and rear view camera. Not being able to do that is a significant downgrade IMO.

Mike Briggs
Owner since May 2018

 

[XP90D]

Yes. Count me in. The in ability to float the camera at the top half of the screen and keep music on the bottom is a huge drawback.

 

[Tech_Guy]

I’d like to be able to choose 2 apps for display I don’t always have the camera on top, for me personally it’s usually Tesla waze in a browser window up top and music on the bottom

 

[zro ltr]

Agreed. Tesla needs to stop "fixing" things by removing functionality. I never need the map on my screen.

 

[PDZ]

I agree! But is there an actual petition to sign?

 

[Blastphemy]

I always have the camera on top and something else on the bottom. I rarely use the map. I agree that Tesla should fix this fix!

I can't understand why Tesla thinks sticking the camera only at the bottom (and only if the Media, Calendar, etc. aren't showing) is somehow an improvement.

Everyone should write to [email protected] and complain about this awful interface change.

 

[Vitold]

I think this is just temporary. Big task was to port the code to S and X from 3. After it’s quirks are ironed out, they will add missing features back to S X.

 

[davidc18]

add me to the list.

 

[f-stop]

I'm guessing this (bad) UI change is about making the whole Tesla lineup feel more in line with the future vision of FSD - i.e. once we all have self-driving cars, of course the Nav will be the major interface to the car. Then we'll be happy staring at the Nav/map to see where the car's taking us, or mindlessly play Atari games. But that the future, not now (or ever, for those of us with older version cars)

In the meantime,I think for most people driving locally on their daily drive, the map isn't required most of the time and shouldn't be forced upon us as the main thing taking over the whole screen. It's a waste of real estate on the otherwise great large screen.

perhaps in addition to emailing support to complain, everyone should tweet a message to Elon - or has the Board taken away his smartphone after the SEC settlement?

 

[Tam]

...map to cover half the screen and only allowing one other app to be up at a time...

Put it in another way: V9 causes User Interface inflexibility and it restricts users from the freedom to choose where they want 2 apps currently are in pre-V9.

The first restriction is the map covers the whole screen: You can't place it on the bottom.

The second restriction is you can't mix and match any 2 apps you want as long as the first app is always the mandatory whole-screen map:

You can place an additional app to the mandatory whole-screen map to partially cover the bottom but users cannot place 2 different other apps on at the same time and in any bottom/top combination that you want for example:

No Rearview Camera and Web browser at the same time.
No Rearview Camera and Energy Consumption at the same time.
No Web browser and Energy Consumption at the same time...

This kind of user interface restrictions is very frustrating.

I could understand why this kind of interface restriction on a less area of a Model 3 15" horizontal display.

But we are talking about a more spacious 17" vertical display.

There is no justification in abandoning the more liberal user freedom in a more expensive and more spacious Model S, X and future 2020 Roadster.

 

[f-stop]

Put it in another way: V9 causes User Interface inflexibility and it restricts users from the freedom to choose where they want 2 apps currently are in pre-V9.

The first restriction is the map covers the whole screen: You can't place it on the bottom.

The second restriction is you can't mix and match any 2 apps you want as long as the first app is always the mandatory whole-screen map:

You can place an additional app to the mandatory whole-screen map to partially cover the bottom but users cannot place 2 different other apps on at the same time and in any bottom/top combination that you want for example:
[...]

yes, this is the awful assumption that Tesla has made: that everyone always needs the map and therefore the map should always take over the whole screen, except for allowing at most 1 pop-over app on the lower part of the display. Maybe someday in the future that assumption makes sense when we get FSD...

But for now, a bad assumption and frustrating restriction to the UI, a big step backwards.

 

[Model S M.D.]

The top half of our screen died after v9....RIP

 

[P100DHG.]

it constitutes damage to our cars

No it doesn’t.

 

[KArnold]

this is the awful assumption that Tesla has made: that everyone always needs the map and therefore the map should always take over the whole screen

And pretty presumptuous. I've been on several trips where I use ABRP over the Tesla nav. Tesla nav just isn't that good.