Though we ordered a 6 seat config, our test drive was with a 7 seat config. When I pointed out the blind spots to the OA, she quickly engaged the rear view camera display and proclaimed “see? Problem solved!”
That was 3 weeks ago, though...
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Unpopular Opinion: I love the bottom-half UI in V9
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Though we ordered a 6 seat config, our test drive was with a 7 seat config. When I pointed out the blind spots to the OA, she quickly engaged the rear view camera display and proclaimed “see? Problem solved!”
That was 3 weeks ago, though...
GlmnAlyAirCar
Active Member
No that was precisely my point. The number of complainers on a forum is not a good sample of the total user population. My argument is that the number of complainers here does not represent a large portion of the user population.
SpudLime
Active Member
I think too many people (including Tesla in this case) are making overly-broad assumptions about what most people do or will do or should do. I'm traveling and don't have v9 yet, but I'd be hugely disappointed if my car were forced to "waste" (IMHO) the top half of the screen for Nav.
I know Miami very well, thank you, and I don't need Navigation for my daily life. My default setting for screen apps has ALWAYS been to have my energy display on the top half of the touchscreen, music on the bottom half. Once or twice a month AT MOST, I use Maps to input a destination, then immediately go back to Energy and get the routing directions on the left of my dash display (which is not something I can turn off even if I wanted to).
I see no reason -- not FSD, nor anything else -- why it would be a good decision for Tesla to force me to devote the top half of my touchscreen to Nav all the time.
I know Miami very well, thank you, and I don't need Navigation for my daily life. My default setting for screen apps has ALWAYS been to have my energy display on the top half of the touchscreen, music on the bottom half. Once or twice a month AT MOST, I use Maps to input a destination, then immediately go back to Energy and get the routing directions on the left of my dash display (which is not something I can turn off even if I wanted to).
I see no reason -- not FSD, nor anything else -- why it would be a good decision for Tesla to force me to devote the top half of my touchscreen to Nav all the time.
Keiki
Member
I also prefer the Tesla Waze screen. Like to be able to use Navigation screen when I need more street/ road details.
Blastphemy
Member
Well, thank goodness that Tesla listened to the unhappy majority and will be returning the camera to the top. Guess the UI future you envisioned wasn't that popular! lol.
Tesla starts releasing Navigate on Autopilot feature with disappointing caveat, update with UI changes
"The 2018.42 update also includes a few other changes.
As we reported earlier this week, Tesla started rolling out the Model 3 key fob and the new software supports the new way to unlock the vehicle and manage the keys.
Tesla also made a user interface change allowing users to stack apps over the media app — something that a fair number of owners have been requesting. “You can now use the Calendar, Energy, Rear Camera, and Phone applications at the same time as Media Player. When Media Player is open, these applications display above the Media Player window and can be dragged up or down to adjust the viewing position.”
Furthermore, apparently many Model S and Model X owners drove with the rear-camera stream on full time on the center screen. With the initial version v9 release, this was deemed impossible since the Tesla system itself was using the navigation app as a background. Now, owners will be able to have the rear camera back on top – much like before."
thecloud
As rhythm raced inside, the ship came alive
Amp Dup
Member
First, I'm ecstatic that they gave us a fix to allow another app to display. I was really feeling abused by Tesla after the V9 update. Still not quite as good as before but much better than the original V9.
They really missed an opportunity for improvement though. The top of the screen is closest to line-of-sight when driving. The bottom of the screen is furthest away from line-of-sight. Most of the icons along the top of the screen are things you use when parked. Most of the icons on the bottom are things you might well want to use while driving. This seems so obvious, I'm at a loss to comprehend the design. How about if like a phone, we could drag the icons to wherever we wanted them?
They really missed an opportunity for improvement though. The top of the screen is closest to line-of-sight when driving. The bottom of the screen is furthest away from line-of-sight. Most of the icons along the top of the screen are things you use when parked. Most of the icons on the bottom are things you might well want to use while driving. This seems so obvious, I'm at a loss to comprehend the design. How about if like a phone, we could drag the icons to wherever we wanted them?
Maybe I got a second v9 release because it just showed up this morning. I am not forced to waste half my screen on the map. Instead, Nav is the background layer for the display and other apps display over it, taking up almost (but not quite) the full width of the screen so you can see the map "under" them around the edges. Nav does appear, at first impression, to be a fixture of the display now. That's unfortunate IMHO because I consider it a distraction.
I do appreciate the ability to reduce the Media app to a "miniplayer" which takes up less space.
I do NOT appreciate the app icons being consolidated into a "launcher" and relegated to the bottom of the screen. That's the worst place to put them since touching an icon forces your eyes to move much farther away from the road ahead and takes longer. The logical place to put those is at the top of the screen; or they could put AT LEAST the one that opens apps in an upper corner and leave the climate/volume/other buttons at the bottom. It would seem someone did this to compensate for limited real estate on M3, which is NOT a problem on MS/MX (and the bottom of the screen is physically higher up in M3, making it a less absurd choice). UI should be similar between MS/MX and M3, but NOT identical. Different display layouts (portrait/landscape) and more display space on MS/MX all mean the screen design should not always make the same choices.
I do appreciate the ability to reduce the Media app to a "miniplayer" which takes up less space.
I do NOT appreciate the app icons being consolidated into a "launcher" and relegated to the bottom of the screen. That's the worst place to put them since touching an icon forces your eyes to move much farther away from the road ahead and takes longer. The logical place to put those is at the top of the screen; or they could put AT LEAST the one that opens apps in an upper corner and leave the climate/volume/other buttons at the bottom. It would seem someone did this to compensate for limited real estate on M3, which is NOT a problem on MS/MX (and the bottom of the screen is physically higher up in M3, making it a less absurd choice). UI should be similar between MS/MX and M3, but NOT identical. Different display layouts (portrait/landscape) and more display space on MS/MX all mean the screen design should not always make the same choices.
Although I appreciate the real time GPS on V9, most of the other features have been a step back from my perspective.
Going through three menus to turn on cabin lights. Get real. How many mile posts do you pass at 80 mph before you find it? Great for when you spill your drink in your lap, ya know.
Are the UI designers real drivers, or do they only drive in on line games.
Have you noticed that it is next to impossible to adjust the temp setting without turning on the seat heaters. Another UI failure most likely arrising out of millenial MINIMALISM. FUNCTIONALISM always trumps MINIMALISM. So much for your MINIMALISM when your suit is wrinkled from lying on the car floor (no hooks) or you have hit a pedestrian while attempting to find cabin lighting or your crash your vehicle while lane changing because of no blind spot warning.
"If it isn't broken, don't fix it" and above all
"It is isn't broken, don't break it.
P.S. The font and blandness of V9 is also very unappealing.
As an update, now that I've been driving this release for awhile, I find it very annoying that some decisions appear to have been made using what I call the "Apple aesthetic": open space, smaller buttons, an "airy" kind of feel. But what might look good on a designer's computer screen is not ideal in the car. I find it hard to press any of the audio-control buttons intuitively because they're so small, and really operating the touchscreen too often requires one's eyes trained directly on it. This means that some things are not comfortable to do while driving, and some are a distraction.
I think the biggest takeaway for me is that it's great that Tesla continues to learn and improve everything... but they need to be more careful on what standards/criteria they apply to things like screen UI design so their designs work optimally IN THE CAR, they need to involve more users in feedback on changes, and they need to create similar-but-optimized UI designs for each model. To me, it seems that Model S/X UI has suffered in v9 because of a desire to make it essentially identical to Model 3, and that's just wrong.
Overall, v9 is usable and functional; and in many ways, it is an improvement on prior firmware. But there are a few clear missteps, too.
I think the biggest takeaway for me is that it's great that Tesla continues to learn and improve everything... but they need to be more careful on what standards/criteria they apply to things like screen UI design so their designs work optimally IN THE CAR, they need to involve more users in feedback on changes, and they need to create similar-but-optimized UI designs for each model. To me, it seems that Model S/X UI has suffered in v9 because of a desire to make it essentially identical to Model 3, and that's just wrong.
Overall, v9 is usable and functional; and in many ways, it is an improvement on prior firmware. But there are a few clear missteps, too.
Amp Dup
Member
Re: Size of control buttons
I agree with the sentiment: If it's not broke, don't break it! This update was a clear step backward.
I am 70 years old. I'm sure Tesla has checked the demographics but I'd have to guess that at the prices for the cars, a lot of the buyers are old like me. My eyes and eye-hand coordination are not what they were when I was half my current age - which I suspect is the age of the UI designers who did this layout. Message to the designers: make it for your customers, not for yourselves.
I agree with the sentiment: If it's not broke, don't break it! This update was a clear step backward.
I am 70 years old. I'm sure Tesla has checked the demographics but I'd have to guess that at the prices for the cars, a lot of the buyers are old like me. My eyes and eye-hand coordination are not what they were when I was half my current age - which I suspect is the age of the UI designers who did this layout. Message to the designers: make it for your customers, not for yourselves.
After now quite a while on Version 9 I must say it is quite horrible usability-wise on the Model S/X.
The small icons to access things like track listings and the constant swiping of the app tray arrow to get the camera to return are much harder work and take attention away from the road much more than any version prior.
The ability to display camera with music was a workable improvement but even that splitscreen flexibility is just a shadow of its former glory.
The small icons to access things like track listings and the constant swiping of the app tray arrow to get the camera to return are much harder work and take attention away from the road much more than any version prior.
The ability to display camera with music was a workable improvement but even that splitscreen flexibility is just a shadow of its former glory.
Minecon_CA
Circuit Wolfy
Tesla should have a service that does software downgrades, even if it charges money. Old Teslas don't have any new features in V9, just less. The UI of Version 9 is just terrible, it's like they forgot they're designing for a car; the buttons are too small.
Simple way of downgrading your software: buy a BMW/Mercedes. Problem solved!
Agree 100%. Putting small buttons on bottom of the MX screen is just a disaster waiting to happen. I wouldn't be surprised if it has already resulting in a few accidents.
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