[AP_75]

Looks like mix of touchscreen and iDrive in the future.



http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...ainment-system

[....,,,,..,,..]

I personally hate idea of touch screens, more research with Idrive and voice coupled with nice simple programming of the 8 'options' buttons.

Touch screens can be distracting.

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Well since Apple announced yesterday that '...all major car companies...' Will be supporting their interface, I guess it makes sense.

[ukbeemerboy]

Oh dear... Cars becoming mobile iPads, why can't they just be left as cars!

[sunscreemer]

Must admit i prefer not to have touch screens, further refining the iDrive would be my preference. While you're moving towards more HUD based information it seems logical to do this too.

[E60MKF]

It is coming with the new 7 series but you will be able to use the iDrive rotary controller or the touchscreen.

[Edinburra]

No please no. To date those I've used are an annoyance.

[E60MKF]

Originally Posted by MarkG335

Well since Apple announced yesterday that '...all major car companies...' Will be supporting their interface, I guess it makes sense.

Merc don't use a touchscreen for CarPlay, they use their rotary controller so BMW could do the same

[sunscreemer]

If it's Apple-linked then maybe BMW will FINALLY have a navigation system that recognises my addresses in my phone's contact book rather than trying to send me to the Netherlands. We can but hope...

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by E60MKF

Merc don't use a touchscreen for CarPlay, they use their rotary controller so BMW could do the same

That seems counterintuitive to me - but then the Merc systems have always seemed so to me.

I love handheld touchscreens (phones, tablets) but don't see the point with computers, never mind cars!

When I came out of my XF I thought I'd miss the screen terribly when in fact I took to idrive like a duck to water as its definitely a step forward.

So long as we keep dual functionality I'll be happy. BMW need to change to matt screens if they introduce touch screens anyway - these current ones mark terribly!

[rocketretro]

Had a touch screen on my last Lexus, a total pain to use whilst moving and forever cleaning the marks from the screen with the wipe and cloth that Lexus supply. The current BMW screen would have to be totally revised as it's not strong enough to be prodded with varying degrees of force. I like the idrive leave well alone.

[sunscreemer]

More touchscreen than dash in a Tesla!

[SkyJawa]

We've an RNS510 touchscreen in the Golf. Its a huge step up from the PoS stock radio that was in there, and adds Navi built in the car and into the Highline Display, but its an epic c*ntpile to use while moving. You have to massively take your eyes of the road, 1 arm off the steering and seriously concentrate to hit the right point on the screen. Its dangerous, hence why I added a multi function steering wheel to help control it while driving for basic tasks like changing radio stations, skip tracks and volume etc.

And as mentioned, the finger marks look crap and you are constantly cleaning it.

I do not know for the life of me why all these manufacturers think touch screen cars are good

[335i nthehouse]

Originally Posted by MarkG335

Well since Apple announced yesterday that '...all major car companies...' Will be supporting their interface, I guess it makes sense.

Does that mean they will be offering an Enhanced Blue-tac feature in the options list building on from Jus D'oranges prototype??

[SkyJawa]

Originally Posted by 335i nthehouse

Does that mean they will be offering an Enhanced Blue-tac feature in the options list building on from Jus D'oranges prototype??

I think that's why him and BMW fell out, they didn't approve of the use of covering all their hard work with a blutac'd ipad!

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by SkyJawa

I think that's why him and BMW fell out, they didn't approve of the use of covering all their hard work with a blutac'd ipad!

Apparently he was finalising a deal with BMW on his modification, however they fell out over the correct grade of Blu Tac to use.

So, he took his brain child go Audi who agreed that blue Tac option was the way forward.

Hence all those legal emails etc

[Sussex_G20]

It was surely the stinger integration via blue tac to the iPad that was the final straw

[Bored of Audi]

I was told by someone at a dealer that the aim / concept by BMW was to have the screens fully removable and will become your ipad etc ...

I think the ex radio thieves will be able to resurrect their career to start stealing BMW version of the Ipad.

[JustChris]

I find it a bit annoying that BMW tends to follow others recently. Audi led with the rather pointless writing with your finger on a small pad and then we get it at BMW.

It's like the auto industry hauls the same 'new' interfaces around the manufacturers and BMW waits to see.

I'd rather have a simple car or leave it alone. The finger writing is an epic waste of time in a UK RHD model except for you wrong in lefties.

Are we just trying too hard now to create reasons for tech.

[TonyS]

Originally Posted by SkyJawa

We've an RNS510 touchscreen in the Golf. Its a huge step up from the PoS stock radio that was in there, and adds Navi built in the car and into the Highline Display, but its an epic c*ntpile to use while moving. You have to massively take your eyes of the road, 1 arm off the steering and seriously concentrate to hit the right point on the screen. Its dangerous, hence why I added a multi function steering wheel to help control it while driving for basic tasks like changing radio stations, skip tracks and volume etc.

And as mentioned, the finger marks look crap and you are constantly cleaning it.

I do not know for the life of me why all these manufacturers think touch screen cars are good

Exactly how I feel about touchscreens in cars - they are epically dangerous, apart from the ease of use issues. If I had my way they would be banned in cars, purely from a safety point of view. I do wonder how many accidents are now caused by drivers looking at touchscreens while trying to hit the right buttons - unlike using a mobile phone while driving there's no way of tracing what was being done at the time of the accident.

The reason that the manufacturers like them is simple - they are a lot cheaper than something like iDrive, which contains a lot of extra hardware and cabling.

[TimMcC]

Originally Posted by Brigand

I personally hate idea of touch screens, more research with Idrive and voice coupled with nice simple programming of the 8 'options' buttons.

Touch screens can be distracting.

+1

When last shopping for cars, anything that had a touchscreen wasn't straight out of the running. Couldn't think of any worse control mechanism for a car.

Now having experienced one in a Ford Taurus in the states on holiday, I can confirm they're an absolute b*stard to use on the move and a major step down. That car had a massive console with hardly any buttons on - most functions you'd expect to be controlled by a button (heated seat for example), were touchscreen only! Waste of space.

[TimMcC]

Originally Posted by TonyS

The reason that the manufacturers like them is simple - they are a lot cheaper than something like iDrive, which contains a lot of extra hardware and cabling.

I think there's also an element that people think it looks 'cooler'. Allows 'funky' controls without needing to fork out for the buttons molds and other associated hardware as you say.