I don't miss physical buttons at all. I do use voice commands and find them useful, but don't understand why something as basic as turning on the exterior lights isn't included... And there have been a few instances where I was in a dead zone and with no connectivity, they don't work. But overall, I don't miss buttons and find them annoying in my wife's car. As far as response time for the screen, no issues for me overall except when I'm navigating and trying to expand the directions to see the entire list. Seems like I have to hit the exact center of the navigation card to get that to happen and it always takes me several tries. I wonder of there is a voice command for that? Will have to try. But I really love the clean interior of the car.
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Tesla Owners, Let's Talk: Touchscreen vs. Physical Buttons - What's Your Take?
- Thread starter Anita B Bailey
- Start date
Tha_Ape
Active Member
I used to care and thought it would bother me. I got used to it and can deal with it, but I think there were physical buttons for safety related things (hazards, wipers, horn, defrosters...). All of the automatic stuff negates a lot of buttons for secondary things like AC, seat heaters, etc..
One thing they could do is to put something tactile next to the display so you can feel before touching the screen. Now that I'm saying that, I might put a piece of painters tape inconspicuously below/ behind the display so I don't have to look down to find the defrosters location on the screen.
One thing they could do is to put something tactile next to the display so you can feel before touching the screen. Now that I'm saying that, I might put a piece of painters tape inconspicuously below/ behind the display so I don't have to look down to find the defrosters location on the screen.
zoomer0056
Active Member
Yes, starting something with a minimal vague option, a biased seed. Perfect forum conversation starter.
SDRick
Active Member
While I love the screen it would be hard to convince me that this interface is better than physical, tactile knobs and buttons for important functions while driving. This is particularly true on a bumpy or curvy surface and even more so in heavy traffic.
In addition, there have been many times that it has taken more than one press on the screen to activate a function or even missing the button entirely due to a jarring road.
Fortunately, many important functions are available on the steering wheel\yoke, unfortunately the placement (ie horn) and quality of the capacitance buttons leave much to be desired.
In addition, there have been many times that it has taken more than one press on the screen to activate a function or even missing the button entirely due to a jarring road.
Fortunately, many important functions are available on the steering wheel\yoke, unfortunately the placement (ie horn) and quality of the capacitance buttons leave much to be desired.
Why worry about buttons when things are automatic and conform to your settings? Reviewers hate "no buttons" because the car isn't set up for them and can't be bothered or have the time to set things up before driving. For example, I set 70 degrees, pre-heat/cool (and defrost) before driving and haven't otherwise touched the climate controls in over a year. Steering wheel and seat heat are now auto.
What is this sudden "misting" of the windshield? I've been driving for 66 years and have never experienced it except backing a cold car from the garage into hot humid air - not while driving. I guess if I lived in a climate where it's an unanticipated problem, I'd have the defrost control memorized. Even then defrost isn't immediate.
What is this sudden "misting" of the windshield? I've been driving for 66 years and have never experienced it except backing a cold car from the garage into hot humid air - not while driving. I guess if I lived in a climate where it's an unanticipated problem, I'd have the defrost control memorized. Even then defrost isn't immediate.
smogne41
Active Member
Because many of the automated features are basically unusable (ie wipers), or are a matter of personal preference that are different for everyone (ie seat heaters).
gtae07
Member
Pretty much this. The automatic functions have been fairly decent to me, but the primary controls should still have physical buttons/knobs/levers. My Y has most of what I'd want in that regard, though it would be nice if the back seats had their own heat controls. I also wish the fog lights would either stay on with high beams, or have a one-touch button.
One thing I dislike is having the shift stalk do double duty for TACC/AP. I'd rather TACC/AP be a pair of buttons on the wheel.
zoomer0056
Active Member
What do you mean "TACC/AP", do you mean TACC/Autosteer? Basic AP consists of two features: TACC and Autosteer.
johnnycnote
Member
What I thought would be large learning curve and a big deal to get used to turned out to be nothing. As a matter of fact, every time I get behind the wheel of an ICE car, I realize how useless all the buttons are
Touchscreen for the win
Touchscreen for the win
Oh, this is a fun topic! When I was a kid, my favorite TV show was Knight Rider, Radio Shack was my second home, I impatiently waited at the mailbox every month for the next issue of Popular Science magazine to arrive, and I wrote my own computer software in BASIC. I was always fascinated by cars with lots of buttons and digital displays.
One of the older neighborhood kids with rich parents pulled up beside me while I was riding my bicycle one evening in his mom's new 1986 Buick Riviera. It had the Graphic Control Center option which was a monochrome CRT with a touchscreen that operated the climate controls, audio system, trip computer, and on-board diagnostics. It also displayed additional gauges. Until then, I had only read about the system and I was absolutely enthralled by it in person. A few years later, Oldsmobile introduced a more sophisticated version called the Visual Information Center on the 1989 Toronado Trofeo. The VIC with cellular telephone option could be programmed to call a number if the alarm triggered. Those were some of my dream cars, but they would be long gone by the time I could afford one. This was cutting-edge technology in its time, but consumers didn't like it and GM killed it off. It would be years before touchscreens began reappearing and decades before they became mainstream.
Radio Shack would eventually become my first employer when I was old enough to work. I also sold consumer electronics for a while before going to college then owning a computer repair business before becoming an engineer. I've always enjoyed the latest technology and while I appreciate mechanics, I enjoy electronics more.
I spent a lot time growing up around my grandfather, who was a well-respected mechanic that owned his own auto repair shop. He taught me how to work on cars and I was rebuilding starter motors, alternators, and carburetors when I was in elementary school. I was assembling electronic kits before I could properly spell the names of the components.
All that is to say that mechanics, electronics, and cutting-edge technology have been a huge part of my life. I was the first person among my family and friends to own a computer, cellular phone, and now...electric vehicle.
My love affair with lots of buttons began fading when I bought one of the first iPhones. It's hard to believe that was nearly 17 years ago. Since then, touchscreens have become quite common in many different types of products from phones to thermostats to tablets and seem very natural to me.
I like the lack of physical switches that can fail, show signs of wear, and take longer to clean. I like the ability to change the interface through software - this makes fixes and improvements easy. With physical buttons, you're forever stuck with the same design.
I had never driven a Tesla with only one screen before ordering and taking delivery of one, but because it was so similar to "an iPad on wheels", it felt very intuitive. I was concerned that I wouldn't like everything being centrally-located after owning dozens of vehicles with traditional layouts, but I never gave it another thought from the moment I drove it home for the first time.
My vote goes to touchscreens. After having physical buttons for everything in dozens of previous vehicles over the decades, I haven't missed them at all.
One of the older neighborhood kids with rich parents pulled up beside me while I was riding my bicycle one evening in his mom's new 1986 Buick Riviera. It had the Graphic Control Center option which was a monochrome CRT with a touchscreen that operated the climate controls, audio system, trip computer, and on-board diagnostics. It also displayed additional gauges. Until then, I had only read about the system and I was absolutely enthralled by it in person. A few years later, Oldsmobile introduced a more sophisticated version called the Visual Information Center on the 1989 Toronado Trofeo. The VIC with cellular telephone option could be programmed to call a number if the alarm triggered. Those were some of my dream cars, but they would be long gone by the time I could afford one. This was cutting-edge technology in its time, but consumers didn't like it and GM killed it off. It would be years before touchscreens began reappearing and decades before they became mainstream.
Radio Shack would eventually become my first employer when I was old enough to work. I also sold consumer electronics for a while before going to college then owning a computer repair business before becoming an engineer. I've always enjoyed the latest technology and while I appreciate mechanics, I enjoy electronics more.
I spent a lot time growing up around my grandfather, who was a well-respected mechanic that owned his own auto repair shop. He taught me how to work on cars and I was rebuilding starter motors, alternators, and carburetors when I was in elementary school. I was assembling electronic kits before I could properly spell the names of the components.
All that is to say that mechanics, electronics, and cutting-edge technology have been a huge part of my life. I was the first person among my family and friends to own a computer, cellular phone, and now...electric vehicle.
My love affair with lots of buttons began fading when I bought one of the first iPhones. It's hard to believe that was nearly 17 years ago. Since then, touchscreens have become quite common in many different types of products from phones to thermostats to tablets and seem very natural to me.
I like the lack of physical switches that can fail, show signs of wear, and take longer to clean. I like the ability to change the interface through software - this makes fixes and improvements easy. With physical buttons, you're forever stuck with the same design.
I had never driven a Tesla with only one screen before ordering and taking delivery of one, but because it was so similar to "an iPad on wheels", it felt very intuitive. I was concerned that I wouldn't like everything being centrally-located after owning dozens of vehicles with traditional layouts, but I never gave it another thought from the moment I drove it home for the first time.
My vote goes to touchscreens. After having physical buttons for everything in dozens of previous vehicles over the decades, I haven't missed them at all.
I have come to like the buttons and the yoke on my Model X. It is the vehicle I drive 95% of the time, and for the first week or so I had to adjust. But since then, it has been smooth sailing. I even do double roundabouts with no issues in signaling. The separator between left and right makes it easy for me to tell which button I am on, and top/up is still right and bottom/down is still left.
I definitely prefer the X setup with a driver side screen and miss it when I drive our 3. Also, the 17" display on the X is better.
I definitely prefer the X setup with a driver side screen and miss it when I drive our 3. Also, the 17" display on the X is better.
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One day there may be a huge update and we'll wake up to find out the whole GUI has changed and for the better. It has that capability. Maybe AI won't kill us and can be incorporated (much more than it is now) into our car controls. I know it's coming. Why else would Elon ditch all the sensors for cameras? I'm just rambling.
smogne41
Active Member
You mean like the 2021 Holiday Update (V11 UI) that completely trashed the UI for the worse both in terms of usability and aesthetics? That we have still not fully recovered from? Yeah, that has worked out great.
smogne41
Active Member
Because he is overconfident (in cameras+computer vision), not good at thinking things through and getting advice from his experts, and insanely cheap.
Tha_Ape
Active Member
I liked it... after they added the seat heaters back and moved the nav directions back up to the top. I'm actually a fan.
But there's no way to please everyone.
No, not really - and I almost didn't buy one because of it. I miss dials more than buttons, frankly, whether for HVAC or volume control. I think things now are OK, but I still wish there were less things on the screen and more tactile things that I don't have to look at. I agree that voice commands are pretty frustrating, and I'd rather be able to turn a knob or a lever to adjust my wiper speed.
WillwayGTO
Member
I happened to sat in a Lucid yesterday, I like the UI and touch screens, frequently used icons are big and well placed, there are quick buttons and scroll wheel, to others they may prefer minimal designs, Elon also prefer designs that makes manufacture process faster, fewer parts has less problem in the future over the usability and ergonomics in daily driving.
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