The benefits of “low tech” user interfaces

Post by Arrath » Wed, May 25, 2022, 3:55 PM UTC

woopwoop wrote: post #181

arky527 wrote: post #5

Modern cars seem to be moving towards all controls on a touch screen somewhere. I suppose this allows for more frequent updates, but in my experience it just leads to more bugs and more painful factory updates. Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road.

My toyota Corolla has a touch screen for interacting with audio. It has the following delightful features: - latency - it has a boot procedure when you turn the car on. While this happens, the controls have quite substantial latency. However the first thing that happens is it begins playing audio. - there is a knob for adjusting volume, but it's still part of the same system as the rest of it. There is still substant…

Post by twobitshifter » Wed, May 25, 2022, 3:57 PM UTC

jupp0r wrote: post #190

My favorite example: Microwave controls. One dial for power and one dial for time is all you really need and much better than numpad controls.

Post by tiffanyh » Wed, May 25, 2022, 4:00 PM UTC

michaelrpeskin wrote: post #226

tiffanyh wrote: post #221

I use to have a 2006 Saab. I LOVED how it had mechanical buttons for everything on the dash. http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/48277419.jpg It's no surprise given that Saab has a history in aerospace. I totally get why car manufacturers are moving to essentially a big iPad as a replacement for the overall dash (it's like when the iPhone came out and people loved their Blackberry keyboards), but from a function vs f…

I still daily drive a Classic 900 (1987) and not only is everything a real button or knob, but it's all controlled by vacuum, not electronics. It's fun to hear the hisses when you change the vent settings.

Post by strix_varius » Wed, May 25, 2022, 4:01 PM UTC

marcosdumay wrote: post #197

nicbou wrote: post #141

The most important lesson I learned in engineering school: define the problem then look for a solution. Most people have a solution in mind before they even look at the problem, and that solution is usually "build an app", or "slap a screen on it". With bureaucracy, it's "put the form on the internet". There are a few low tech devices I much prefer: - A kitchen timer vs. my phone. I don't need to unlock the phone and…

> My microwave has one knob for time, and one knob for intensity. I don't think a knob is the optimal interface for time. In microwaves you need to input both low values of ~10s and very high values of ~600s with good precision on both cases. Sure, a logarithmic knob will give you that, but I don't think it's what you would expect. For power it's good. It's even a much better interface for the power level than the us…

Post by me_smith » Wed, May 25, 2022, 4:03 PM UTC

tomc1985 wrote: post #172

30944836 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Not to mention using a touchscreen to adjust the temperature while driving is incredibly dangerous compared to a dial you can feel for without taking your eyes off the road. I understand this concern and opinion. I just wish that people who had this opinion realized that their car has a very modern voice interface that can reliably understand commands for temperature changes. I know, I know, it's not the buttons you…

As someone who has a physical condition that makes speaking sometimes very unpleasant, the last thing I want in my car is a voice-only interface. Also, cue the skit about the thick scottish-accented guy trying to activate a voice-activated elevator... Buttons, please. And only buttons.