Unpopular Opinion: I love the bottom-half UI in V9

[RayW]

For all you complainers — my thread has 3 loves, 12 likes, and 8 dislikes. You're outnumbered nearly 2 to 1.

Thanks for reminding us to responsibility rate posts -- it's now 17 - 12

 

[tccartier]

You’re getting actual blind spot detection built in though, so you won’t need to do that anymore.

Not on pre autopilot cars we're not! And yes I am among those that likes to run my reverse camera in the top half of the screen when in City traffic.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

I could give Tesla a free pass if only a handful of owners were putting the rear-facing camera on the top. But, that doesn't seem to be the case.

You are only hearing from a very vocal minority about wanting the rear-facing camera on top. Just like there was a very vocal minority complaining about the loss of the battery indicator in the center of the IC under v7, or the hiding of the icon bar on v8 (ok, that was a terrible idea).

Good design involves giving people what they need, not what they say they want. Henry Ford said if he gave people what they said they wanted he would have built a faster horse.

Remember the early days of Windows when everyone was creating horrible desktop themes just because the interface allowed them to? Let the professionals do their job. If it turns out they can't do it well they won't be employed very long.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

Not on pre autopilot cars we're not! And yes I am among those that likes to run my reverse camera in the top half of the screen when in City traffic.

Nor on AP1

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

You’re getting actual blind spot detection built in though, so you won’t need to do that anymore.

You're not serious, are you? You really use the camera to check your blind spots? Too much effort to turn your head or do a side-view mirror lean?

 

[SpudLime]

You are only hearing from a very vocal minority about wanting the rear-facing camera on top. Just like there was a very vocal minority complaining about the loss of the battery indicator in the center of the IC under v7, or the hiding of the icon bar on v8 (ok, that was a terrible idea).

Good design involves giving people what they need, not what they say they want. Henry Ford said if he gave people what they said they wanted he would have built a faster horse.

Remember the early days of Windows when everyone was creating horrible desktop themes just because the interface allowed them to? Let the professionals do their job. If it turns out they can't do it well they won't be employed very long.

You are also hearing from a very vocal minority about how much they like the new v9 update. Please dont state opinions as fact. Lots of folks here think they have a huge number of folks that agree with their complaint, when possibly they dont.

 

[thecloud]

You are only hearing from a very vocal minority about wanting the rear-facing camera on top. Just like there was a very vocal minority complaining about the loss of the battery indicator in the center of the IC under v7, or the hiding of the icon bar on v8 (ok, that was a terrible idea).

Good design involves giving people what they need, not what they say they want. Henry Ford said if he gave people what they said they wanted he would have built a faster horse.

By your logic, you are not allowed to criticize the hiding of the icon bar on v8 as a "terrible idea," because Tesla knows better than you do about what your needs are.

 

[SpudLime]

By your logic, you are not allowed to criticize the hiding of the icon bar on v8 as a "terrible idea," because Tesla knows better than you do about what your needs are.

Criticize is one thing. Making 30 different threads, a petition and escalating to executive VP is quite different.

 

[evster]

Sorry to be harsh, but those of you who use the rear view camera for blind spot just need to learn how to use the normal mirrors better. Just much more safe than starring at the rear view camera on the screen while moving forward. There is just nothing you can see there that you can't see via your mirrors if they're setup correctly.

Would be much better if Tesla completely removed the ability to engage the rear view camera while driving forward just like ALL other car manufacturer does.

I applaud Tesla for v9 and can't wait to get it here in Europe

 

[electronblue]

I applaud Tesla for v9 and can't wait to get it here in Europe

Why disable the ability to use two apps simulatenously or place apps on top, though? What is the benefit of removing that feature in general?

 

[SpudLime]

Why disable the ability to use two apps simulatenously or place apps on top, though? What is the benefit of removing that feature in general?

To synchronize the code base across all the products. The amount of money to spend to keep different code versions gets to be expensive very quickly. As Tesla adds more products.. The truck, Model Y, roadster, its just better from an economic standpoint as well as a user base. Its not good practice if a user gets in their Model Y and then have to adjust to a different UI if they get in their Model 3.

I could go on and on, but this practice is standard for the industry.

 

[evster]

Why disable the ability to use two apps simulatenously or place apps on top, though? What is the benefit of removing that feature in general?

Simply put - It's just more intuitive that way.

the ability to have the media player in three different sizes for instance is a great feature. It mimics much of the industry standard that people are used to in iPads and phones etc. You never see split screen setups and the Tesla v8 and previous solution is just something that belong to the past.

I can understand that some that has gotten used to the "Tesla UI" think it's a step back with v9, but anyone coming in as a newcomer to Tesla UI it will be MUCH more logic and easy to use. I can promise you that!

It's like when they re-build your local grocery store. As an old customer you get a bit frustrated the first time you enter the new and re-built store because the milk is not where it used to be, the magazines are in a different spot etc. But to a new customer the new layout is more logic from a general point of view.

Change is difficult for many. That doesn't mean change is a bad thing.

I love change and adapt quickly to new stuff and try to see the benefits instead of the opposite. I think the new v9 GUI is AWESOME compared to the ancient v8 interface that was so dated that I don't know where to start

 

[electronblue]

I could go on and on, but this practice is standard for the industry.

You are probably right about Tesla’s reasons, as unfortunate as they are for the user who ends up being limited in options. Model S + X have very different screens than Model 3 etc currently so applying the same logic to them feels forced and not optimal but it probably saves Tesla time and money.

I don’t find this industry standard though. Car makers don’t go back and remove features from cars usually. And different car model ranges often have different interface depending on low or highend.

 

[electronblue]

Change is difficult for many. That doesn't mean change is a bad thing.

True. Unfortunately it also does not guarantee that change is a good thing. Forcing navigation as an open app and removing ability to show other two apps simultaneously is certainly a significant limitation and not just a rearranging of things. @SpudLime is probably correct the reasons are not usability related anyway but fleet maintenance.

 

[SpudLime]

You guys really want to see some angry folks about software changes. Visit the forums and facebook pages that talk about the WAZE app. I work for the Waze Beta program and browsing anything Waze related...holy cow do people get pissed off. When i talk to the Waze developers and the engineering team i ask about this and they say.. We dont look at those forums. *shrug

 

[rw99]

Simply put - It's just more intuitive that way.
...It's like when they re-build your local grocery store. As an old customer you get a bit frustrated the first time you enter the new and re-built store because the milk is not where it used to be, the magazines are in a different spot etc. But to a new customer the new layout is more logic from a general point of view...

Listen, outside of the rear-facing camera debate, what we're saying here is that configurability by the owner is what's preferred by the largest proportion of users. Simple logic.

In your grocery store analogy, what v9 has done is to make us shop at separate stores for our produce, dairy, and meat. The UI inflexibility has removed display options that many owners used. It's not simple rearrangement.

From a safety standpoint, users that used to have two non-NAV apps on the screen (say, TeslaWaze and music) are now forced to interact with the screen to continually switch between apps in the static bottom screen.

The unifying characteristic of the Tesla UI across all vehicles should be its flexibility and ability to deliver to a wider range of customer preferences. That marvelous screen is BUILT to allow this; otherwise, why not just populate the dash with a bunch of old-school buttons and knobs?

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

But they haven't removed or decluttered anything. Prior to v9 you could have the map up top and an app below. Or the map below and an app on top.

All they have done is remove the functionality to move the app to either the top half or the bottom half of the screen. How is that making it cleaner or less cluttered?

Just for clarification I was trying to generalize the argument.

That there is a challenge between trying to keeps things clean, and uncluttered while also having a lot of functionality.

From the perceptive of a customer I didn't see anything wrong with the UI/UX in V8. Sure there were nitpicky things like wanting to be able to turn off the center screen, but nothing too major. With V9 it seems like they took things away not for the benefit of the customer in ease of use, but to simply development.

The UI is actually so atrocious that I don't feel as bad for trading in my Model S in on a Model 3. At the time I went from a UI/UX experience I loved to one I knew would never match up because of the limitations of a single screen. I went through with it because I was getting other things.

But, I didn't expect that Tesla would take an axe to the old UI and ruin the things I loved about it.

One example that I liked was being able to have large album artwork. Is this even possible with V9 on a Model S/X? It certainly isn't possible with the Model 3.

 

[thranx]

"Does BMW let you rearrange where your buttons and displays are?"

No. That's one reason why I've been buying Teslas instead of BMW's. Let's see what happens when another manufacturer offers the customizability that Tesla seems intent on taking away.

As for the grocery store analogy, offering one kind of canned pears, one kind of paper towels, one kind of computer, can prove very profitable by simplifying inventory, etc. How well that approach appeals to customers who are maybe interested in gourmet food is another matter.

 

[newtpootywinkl]

In a loaner right now while my X is having the screen replaced as yellow borders appeared immediately after the v9 update. My initial impression of v9 was that it didn’t look/feel as nice as the prior version. Especially the nav screen and traffic color overlay when on a route (visible on v8 and hidden by the blue line on v9). Plus I really liked the split screen functionality though I’m not a backup camera all the time driver. Feels like a little thing I didn’t know how much I liked until it was gone.

The loaner has not been updated yet and I am enjoying getting to use the prior version for a bit. I’ll get used to the new version and it’s not a huge deal for me but there is one little thing that really drives me crazy and if anyone knows how to resolve it I would be very grateful! I do not use the Tesla audio interface at all. Everything is through my phone and watch. But everytime I start the car the audio interface pops up and I have to manually minimize it. I realize it’s not a big deal but it is super annoying and I have not been able to find any setting that changes that default behavior. Anyone know how? Thanks!

 

[SpudLime]

Listen, outside of the rear-facing camera debate, what we're saying here is that configurability by the owner is what's preferred by the largest proportion of users. Simple logic.

In your grocery store analogy, what v9 has done is to make us shop at separate stores for our produce, dairy, and meat. The UI inflexibility has removed display options that many owners used. It's not simple rearrangement.

From a safety standpoint, users that used to have two non-NAV apps on the screen (say, TeslaWaze and music) are now forced to interact with the screen to continually switch between apps in the static bottom screen.

The unifying characteristic of the Tesla UI across all vehicles should be its flexibility and ability to deliver to a wider range of customer preferences. That marvelous screen is BUILT to allow this; otherwise, why not just populate the dash with a bunch of old-school buttons and knobs?

“Preferred by the largest portion” ??

How did you come to that conclusion? Was there a poll I missed? Is there a stat released from Tesla on that?

I certainly hope you didn’t ascertain that from the posts on this website. Because that would imply you don’t know much about forums and the internet in general.