Car Touchscreens vs Buttons

You may enjoy this article out recently: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/08/yes-touchscreens-really...

There is nothing inherently wrong with touch screens. Just use physical knobs and buttons for anything you want when driving (heat, for example) then use touch screen for everything you use when not driving. Entering a navigation target, setting the clock, doing any car setup etc. Typing in a destination with voice or a knob and button interface is infuriating.

The entire concept of everything being a touchscreen is an absolute cancer to all automobiles. People are taking the Steve Jobs "I hate buttons" mindset into a space where you NEED to feel around, you NEED to be able to adjust a dial, push a button, slide something around, etc. With a touch screen, you get no feedback from feeling around - you have to take your eyes off the road, and do the equivalent of looking at your phone for a second just to do something as simple as turn on the d

Most used controls should be behind physical buttons. Touchscreen UX in cars is terrible. Furthermore, it is a safety hazard.

Funny you mention that because co-habiting the front page of HN right now along with this thread is news that Madza is removing touch screens from its in-car systems. Tactile buttons are best when operating a machine that requires focus. Being able to reach for and feel a button, lever, or dial while focusing on driving is way safer than having to stare a a small screen to press the right area.

How many cars have you driven? The whole point here is to design the UI thoughtfully. Yes, there are cars with confusing buttons and knobs, but a touch screen is worse, not better. There is no way to develop muscle memory for pushing spots on a touch screen especially when there might be a modal dialog or if a software update has “improved” the layout of functions.Physical buttons and knobs and switches that don’t move can be learned by muscle memory alone, and even the ones you need to look

Touch screens in cars should be banned. The interaction affordances are abysmal compared to physical controls, and tactile feedback is obviously non-existent. Not to mention that as the author mentions, many UI targets are too small to touch accurately without diverting a significant amount of your attention from driving.

I can’t speak for the whole I industry, can you give me an example?Also, in my experience it doesn’t really matter if it’s a touch screen, a touch control, or a tactile button. People don’t know their dash controls, even if they’ve owned a vehicle for years (and I’m talking about systems that are 100% physical switches).As an exercise, try drawing out what the center stack of your vehicle is, where all the switches are and what they do. Alternatively, the next time you drive try setting

Touch screens should be banned on security [edit: safety] grounds. You need to take your eyes off the road to perform simple operations such as adjusting heating. Relying on muscle memory with physical knobs is much safer. And it's not just Tesla, it's a worrying trend for many car manufacturers.

The problem is that basic controls got moved into touch screen interfaces.Before I could turn my fan speed knob by feel. It was "stepped" so I knew what level it was at when I moved it, if it was min/max. Same with heat and cool. Knob to adjust what vents. All could be done with eyes on the road.Now? OK you can change climate control, go into touch screen, open up controls, tap to change 5 times to different vents, some crap slider to control fan speed, all requiring to look