Tell us what's in an update BEFORE we perform the update

[smartypnz]

Used to look forward to updates. Our first Tesla was in 2013. Updates were amazing - like Christmas. Added a second Tesla in 2017 and replaced the first one in 2018. Went through many minor changes, but the major ones were horrifying. And with no notice. Get up in the morning to go somewhere (work, appt, road trip) and everything's DIFFERENT ??
This last one - taking the family on a vacation to SoCal and Rose parade, when part of the planned route closed due to unexpected snow. Trying to figure out how to get things done with the car while driving through major route changes - not finding simple controls while navigating alternate routes. Trying to get basic info from the car which had been second nature ( if not intuitive) now a crap shoot.

If I had known it was to be a 'new' interface, I would not have updated just yet. I would have waited till there was a 'quiet' time when the car (and I) could 'talk' to each other - make mistakes, figure out new things and find the 'old' things that were now a guessing game or lost.

Please... PLEASE, Tesla - warn us ahead of time. A simple "Hey guys, someone at the company decided that this new update will be like you had just gotten your first electric car. However, if need be - you can revert to the previous software during a learning curve. We expect you will like the new as you get familiar and will consider it your co-pilot"

 

[strider]

That would require process and discipline, neither of which Tesla has in any amount.

But TMC will do that for you. Turn off auto updates and wait. There will be plenty of threads here about the good and bad of the latest.

My wife has forbidden updates on her MS until it gets the all clear from here on TMC.

 

[EVRider-FL]

If I had known it was to be a 'new' interface, I would not have updated just yet. I would have waited till there was a 'quiet' time when the car (and I) could 'talk' to each other - make mistakes, figure out new things and find the 'old' things that were now a guessing game or lost.

Both the mobile app and touchscreen tell you the update version before you install it, so read the release notes online before deciding whether to install. Just Google “tesla <version>“ and you’ll find them.

Turn off auto updates and wait.

There’s no “auto update“ setting. All you can do is choose not to install the update.

 

[ATPMSD]

Tesla Software Updates & Release Notes - Latest Tesla Updates

The latest Tesla software update releases and their release notes for Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y

www.notateslaapp.com

 

[smartypnz]

Even a doctor says "This might hurt a little."

 

[smartypnz]

Both the mobile app and touchscreen tell you the update version before you install it, so read the release notes online before deciding whether to install. Just Google “tesla <version>“ and you’ll find them.

Did not see that. Version would have meant nothing to me. Major updates should say something like "Caution" or "Be advised - this may piss people off'. Or maybe 'You're going our guinea pig'.
Should not be presented the same as an update that just adds a wiper speed.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

There really isn't any need for them to warn users as there should never be anything to warn about. Look at some of the profoundly radical UI revolutions we have seen in recent decades:

• DOS -> Windows 3.1
• Macintosh -> Mac
• Windows 3.1 -> 95
• Windows 95 -> 7
• (nothing) -> iPhone

Did anyone warn us about those drastic UI reinventions? No.
Because the designers at Apple, Microsoft, etc. actually had PC's and Macs and stuff with which to test their new creations so they were able to make drastic changes that were quickly embraced as drastic improvements which were so intuitive that only a minimal learning curve was ever needed.
But at Tesla not a single member of the UX team actually owns a Tesla (I assume). They take the BART to work and zip around on hoverboards and have absolutely no idea what kind of device their code will end up running on.

Tesla would be wise to provide some loaner cars to their UX interns so that they can get a better idea of what cars are and how they might be used.

 

[smartypnz]

I like the analogy, but I never used my desktop to take my family down the freeway at 70 mph and hopefully knew where each control was located and performing as previously expected.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

Well my point was that if a UX engineer can completely shuffle an incredibly complex operating system, throw it at the entire world with no instructions, and have them all just figure it out with ease - then Tesla should be able to move the windshield wiper control in a way that doesn't prompt an endless sea of confusion and infinite number of YouTube videos, blogs, newspaper articles, forum posts, service requests, etc. from people trying to figure out what happened.

The fact that they weren't able to make some simple changes to a simple UI without creating total chaos suggests that the intern in charge was not exactly firing on all coils.

 

[sleepydoc]

There really isn't any need for them to warn users as there should never be anything to warn about. Look at some of the profoundly radical UI revolutions we have seen in recent decades:

• DOS -> Windows 3.1
• Macintosh -> Mac
• Windows 3.1 -> 95
• Windows 95 -> 7
• (nothing) -> iPhone

Did anyone warn us about those drastic UI reinventions? No.
Because the designers at Apple, Microsoft, etc. actually had PC's and Macs and stuff with which to test their new creations so they were able to make drastic changes that were quickly embraced as drastic improvements which were so intuitive that only a minimal learning curve was ever needed.
But at Tesla not a single member of the UX team actually owns a Tesla (I assume). They take the BART to work and zip around on hoverboards and have absolutely no idea what kind of device their code will end up running on.

Tesla would be wise to provide some loaner cars to their UX interns so that they can get a better idea of what cars are and how they might be used.

you forgot something - Windows 95 -> Windows XP -> Windows Vista

A whole lot of people wish they would have been warned about vista!

 

[sleepydoc]

Tesla Software Updates & Release Notes - Latest Tesla Updates

The latest Tesla software update releases and their release notes for Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y

www.notateslaapp.com

release notes on this website are helpful but are not in anyway a preview of the new software

 

[smartypnz]

I truly believe (and have for some time) that the developers were given 36" screens to develop the software used on our Model 3/Y screens. And, BTW pale pastel color letters, icons, and symbols do NOT show up well on a screen in the dark. And white letters/symbols should be totally bright white - not bordering gray. Letters on a display should have a black outline not a gradual shift to monitor neutral.

 

[smogne41]

There really isn't any need for them to warn users as there should never be anything to warn about. Look at some of the profoundly radical UI revolutions we have seen in recent decades:

• DOS -> Windows 3.1
• Macintosh -> Mac
• Windows 3.1 -> 95
• Windows 95 -> 7
• (nothing) -> iPhone

Did anyone warn us about those drastic UI reinventions? No.
Because the designers at Apple, Microsoft, etc. actually had PC's and Macs and stuff with which to test their new creations so they were able to make drastic changes that were quickly embraced as drastic improvements which were so intuitive that only a minimal learning curve was ever needed.
But at Tesla not a single member of the UX team actually owns a Tesla (I assume). They take the BART to work and zip around on hoverboards and have absolutely no idea what kind of device their code will end up running on.

Tesla would be wise to provide some loaner cars to their UX interns so that they can get a better idea of what cars are and how they might be used.

What are you talking about? Nobody had their Windows 95 computer install an update and suddenly turn into Windows 7. Absolutely every one of the products you mention above were extencivily previewed to the public before they were released. For a lot of them there were even public betas. Nobody had their hardware unexpecidly upgrade to one of them (except perhaps from one iOS version to another). Everyone was able to make personal decision if they wanted to upgrade from Windows 3.1 to 95.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

Guys, don't read too deep between the lines. I was only making the point that a good UI engineer can throw a radical new design at the public and people figure it out well enough. Not that they need to, should, or that radical redesigns are appropriate for cars, just that people are generally pretty good at adapting to new UI's if they're reasonably well designed.

The fact that Tesla's entire team of summer interns clearly couldn't UI their way out of a wet paper bag suggests that they all ride hoverboards. There's just no other logical explanation. I mean, Jesus, my phone, seatbelt, and turn signal all block the garage opener. Why? Because hoverboard.

 

[Nyshocka]

Guys, don't read too deep between the lines. I was only making the point that a good UI engineer can throw a radical new design at the public and people figure it out well enough. Not that they need to, should, or that radical redesigns are appropriate for cars, just that people are generally pretty good at adapting to new UI's if they're reasonably well designed.

The fact that Tesla's entire team of summer interns clearly couldn't UI their way out of a wet paper bag suggests that they all ride hoverboards. There's just no other logical explanation. I mean, Jesus, my phone, seatbelt, and turn signal all block the garage opener. Why? Because hoverboard.

So instead of admitting your point did not hit you blame the reader for not understanding. Sounds like a ux developer that built a ui that users dont like.

Question do you have a hover board?

 

[cruiserlarry]

Anyone who was actually around for any of the transitions listed in Gauss Guzzler's post would remember there was tons of user resistance to the changes from Dos to Windows, from Windows 98 thru Windows 7, Android and IOS changes, etc...and in many instances, it was not a simple learning curve. From software and processor incompatibility issues, to a lack of feature documentation, to endless bug fixes, computer / phone UI changes caused the same complaints that plague Tesla from owners now...

 

[ATPMSD]

release notes on this website are helpful but are not in anyway a preview of the new software

Just don’t install the update until the notes are published.

 

[sleepydoc]

Just don’t install the update until the notes are published.

No, my point was that the notes say things like “cleaner interface” and “customizable app tray.” That sounds great but the actual implementation sucked. There’s no way to have any idea about the implementation just by reading the notes.

 

[EVRider-FL]

No, my point was that the notes say things like “cleaner interface” and “customizable app tray.” That sounds great but the actual implementation sucked. There’s no way to have any idea about the implementation just by reading the notes.

Wait for other people to install the build and read what they have to say about it.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Both the mobile app and touchscreen tell you the update version before you install it, so read the release notes online before deciding whether to install. Just Google “tesla <version>“ and you’ll find them.

Good point. I am going to guess the OP wants to see the detail notes in the car without having to go online. That would be nice. My take is that even if Tesla were to show the notes in the car, they are so general as to often not be of much help because they could have introduced new bugs or issues that a user would not know about unless researching it. So yes, check the notes online and see what people have to say about the update.