Computer Screen Instrument Panels Are Insane, Must Be Stopped

"gabbo241" (gabbo241) 07/25/2014 at 11:01 • Filed to: Rants, Instrument Panels, Get Off My Lawn

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Lately, carmakers seems to be operating on the assumption that the more information that can be packed into an instrument panel, the better. 10 years ago this began benignly with a small monochrome screen set between the speedometer and tach. Lately, this metastasized into a multicolor screen taking over the instrument panel.

This is just bad interface design, because these screens are basically incapable of prioritizing information. All my eyes know is that a screen is constantly glowing at me, and they can't decide exactly where to look. Since the graphics on the screen are constantly changing, my eyes aren't as good as detecting when something actually important changes. Time was, a light on the dash meant something bad was happening, and no lights meant everything was okay. No more.

Poor gramps is going to have to make is way around this bad boy in the XTS. Can anyone explain to me why the bluetooth logo is the same size as the speed readout?

And don't even get me started on this new Audi horror show:

With this one, you'll never miss your turn, but you will miss the tractor trailer that made a short stop 15 feet in front of you.

The objective of any instrument panel should be to convey only the most important information as quickly and cleanly as possible, so that the driver's eyes can return to the road. Putting a large monochrome screen between analog gauges appears to do that. Going all glass does not. The executions that seem to work best just emulate analog gauges - but at that point you have to ask yourself - why go to the trouble? Consider the new S Class:

These all glass IPs are probably bad at day, and I imagine worse at night. There's nothing I want less than an LCD glowing in my face when I'm already contending with oncoming headlights.

As far as I'm concerned, in late model cars the peak of elegance, legibility, and user friendliness was reached with the late 2000s BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Let us consider them for a moment, and mourn their passing:

(2009 BMW 328i, shot this morning)

(2007 A4)

/end rant

crowmolly > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:04

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I get that RacePak gets you a lot of information from your runs, etc but I just can't get behind the look.

For Sweden > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:06

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Germans

Best Design

Milky > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:06

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#You'reJustJellyBecauseYourCarIsOutOfDate.

jariten1781 > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:08

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I agree with all except that you picked BMW with the goofy MPG gauge that flops all over the place as an example of good analog gauges. IMO that's another example of a useless distraction.

gabbo241 > Milky 07/25/2014 at 11:08

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so tru (runs and hides face in hands)

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:09

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The more things I see being crammed into new cars, the more I want to walk outside with a M1 and yell "get off my lawn."

gabbo241 > jariten1781 07/25/2014 at 11:10

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Completely agree - it burns me up inside that the eurospec models have a water temp gauge in place of that dopey instantaneous MPG gauge (what the hell is that thing anyway, a throttle position sensor? My foot can tell me that). I wonder if you could play with the onboard computer to force that gauge to just read out water temp instead.

Jayhawk Jake > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:14

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These all glass IPs are probably bad at day, and I imagine worse at night. There's nothing I want less than an LCD glowing in my face when I'm already contending with oncoming headlights.

What this means: I've never tried using one of these displays, but I'm a hipster douchebag and think cars should be the same as they were in 1975 so I'm going to make some shit up about these displays because surely I'm right and no one has thought about the children.

I have a digital display. It's not glass, but it is digital. All this talk about screens glowing as bright as the sun at night or being hard to read in the day time is bullshit. It's fine. In fact, it's big and clear and easy to read so it's better than analog IMO. I just wish I had a gear indicator (totally 100% unrelated issue)

I like modern technology, so I love the way these things are going. It's hardly giving you more information that what cars currently give you. The cadillac for example: Speed in the middle, gas on the right, other car stuff (oil life), little nav map and fuel on the left. The bluetooth thing is what's currently playing on the radio, no different than Audi's center display today and Ford's Sync displays. It's not really any more information than we have now, it's just presented differently. And Audi's 'virtual' cockpit, while different is again the same stuff just presented better.

gabbo241 > Jayhawk Jake 07/25/2014 at 11:17

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Hey, question for you - what colors are best for preserving night vision? Orange and red. What are the worst? Blue, green, white. Guess what BMW and Audi use on analog gauges? You got it - orange and red. What is the predominant color on an LCD? The white backlight.

Textured Soy Protein > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:20

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My 135is has a temp gauge in that spot.

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:21

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They're fine as long as they afford you to customize the layout. and allow you to choose what is the most important information that you require.

Also, you complain about backlight shining in your eyes at night as if you can't adjust the brightness of the backlight. This is a problem that already exists and is already solved with analog gauges. They have adjustable backlights as well. It's a moot point to even bring up.

BrtStlnd > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:22

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NEW WAYS OF PRESENTING THE SAME INFORMATION ARE SO SCARY GUYS

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:22

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We need to head things off by sending you back in time to bitchslap Maserati, Aston Martin, and Buick:

Jayhawk Jake > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:24

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Sigh...

Again, have you used one? Yes, white isn't good for night vision but these displays aren't bright enough to affect your vision.

Actually, I should correct myself. I haven't used these displays, I don't know. I doubt it's a problem because guess what? If it was, there's no way in hell it would ever be produced.

You know what color is the worst? Blue. You know what color my display is? Yeah, it's a fucking blue LCD display. You know what problem I don't have? Night vision while driving at night.

Get with the times, or stick to old cars. It's not rocket science: if you don't like it, don't buy it. Sorry that all the car makers are catering to the majority of us that *gasp* enjoy new technology. How dare us.

McMike > Milky 07/25/2014 at 11:24

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#NotNearlyAsOutOfDateAsThatCarWillBeInFiveYears

gabbo241 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/25/2014 at 11:25

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at...least...they're...monochrome? Good lord. The eyes, they burn.

505Turbeaux > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:26

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all the info I ever needed...

Jayhawk Jake > BrtStlnd 07/25/2014 at 11:26

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ALL ATTENTION MUST BE ON THE ROAD AT ALL TIMES. HANDS AT 9 AND 3. READ SPEEDO IN PERIPHERAL VISION. NO RADIO, TOO DISTRACTING. MANUAL WINDOWS ONLY. NO SEATBELTS, MODERN TECHNOLOGY IS THE DEVIL

BrtStlnd > Jayhawk Jake 07/25/2014 at 11:31

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HIT THE APEXES ON YOUR COMMUTE DIESEL MIATA ANALOG BEIGEKRIEG

gabbo241 > Jayhawk Jake 07/25/2014 at 11:32

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The key thing with these displays is going to be getting the information design right, and I don't think anyone has yet - and I think that Audi one is quite clearly downright dangerous. By the way, it certainly does not follow that if something hits the market its not a problem. The fact is, we don't understand the types of effects these displays are having on driver attention - just like we didn't understand with foresight the effects smartphone presence in the car would have. I'm not saying these can never work, I'm saying that in their current iterations, many of them make basic design faux pas. Also, I'd love OLEDs to come down in price so we can get rid of the damn backlights.

BrtStlnd > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:34

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I've used one several times in my dad's XTS. At night the screens are dark and easy to read... you can even pick from a few color schemes. It is not distracting.

gabbo241 > Textured Soy Protein 07/25/2014 at 11:35

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Victorious Secret > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:35

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If you had actually bothered to use any of these displays, you'd realize how big of a non-issue it actually is.

Daytime and nighttime visibility is perfect. These displays don't GLOW IN UR FACE at night. Far from it...

If you don't have experience and don't actually know, don't say anything at all.

Jayhawk Jake > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 11:36

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We don't know the effects of these displays? Yeah, I'm sure carmakers throw these out there without testing them. You really think a carmaker wants to make an inherently dangerous car?

I don't understand why you have such a problem with the audi one. It's a GPS map with the other gauges on the sides. I don't think it HAS to be a map all the time anyways, and I believe I read when it debuted that you could change the size of the other gauges. It just moved the GPS to be in the same place as important stuff, so if you glance down to check the map you also see important information about the car. It's not any worse than the current layout of GPS in the center of the car (other than passenger control of the system, but that's a separate issue).

Milky > McMike 07/25/2014 at 11:48

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But it looks so dope now though.

gabbo241 > Jayhawk Jake 07/25/2014 at 11:50

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Some car makers are doing good work trying to understand the attentional effects, but I think the research has a lot of catching up to do, and unfortunately is at times in conflict with the desire to create a "whiz-bang" experience in the showroom. And yes, I've sampled this type of display - most recently in a test drive of a new CTS. In my opinion it was harder to read essential information quickly.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 07/25/2014 at 11:50

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My car, yes. The wife's car ... she needs all the ABS/traction control/stability control she can get.

gabbo241 > BrtStlnd 07/25/2014 at 11:55

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I guess I most prefer the one in the upper right? But it seems to me that you could do this with analog gauges. And then you'd have the advantage of texturing and a better contrast ratio you get with physical gauges.

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:05

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But your eyes aren't seeing the white light - you're seeing pixels. These systems have night modes that change the color temperature of the screen to make it easier on the eyes at night.

It still use a white LCD backlighting, but that doesn't matter if the colors the pixels are producing are softer, warmer hues. What did you seriously think the analog gauges you were using before used as backlighting? They put a color filter over some white light.

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:06

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How would you do a customizable readout with analog gauges?

gabbo241 > spanfucker retire bitch 07/25/2014 at 12:07

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Hunh? As you may be aware - especially when compared to other technologies like OLED and plasma, LCDs are not perfect at blocking the white backlight, even when the pixel is set to "black" - they are still permeable to light and that's why their contrast ratios suck ass. Whereas, the plastic instrument panel on analog gauges blocks the backlighting 100%. Hence vastly superior contrast ratio.

spanfucker retire bitch > Victorious Secret 07/25/2014 at 12:08

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If you don't have experience and don't actually know, don't say anything at all.

Pfft, what the fuck do you mean I shouldn't make sweeping generalizations and parade them as facts, just because I know nothing about the topic I'm talking about?

gabbo241 > spanfucker retire bitch 07/25/2014 at 12:10

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Why does it have to be customizable? Part of what I'm saying is that what information is readily available is a crucial design decision. Excessive customizability can be a symptom of avoiding hard but important decisions. I should think that you could fit navigation cues, radio, and on board diagnostics in a smaller central screen (preferably monochromatic), as used to be the fashion.

I somewhat feel the same way about the customizable suspension modes. If they tune the car right, this shouldn't be a needed feature.

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:11

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OLED and Plasmas have their own issues. And I'm well aware of what backlight bleed is. Perhaps you're aware that not all panels in use are bad as TN panels? VA/PVA and IPS/PLS have very high contrast ratios and are better at creating more consistent blacks.

My point still stands. You're not seeing these bright white lights flashing in your eyes when viewing an LCD panel. That's just hyperbolic nonsense. The colors of the pixels and the color temperature affect you far more.

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:14

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Why not? What you want, what I want, and what Joe Schmo wants could be totally different. Maybe I rely entirely on the HUD in my car for my speed information and rely on the central dash to tell me other information.

Also, the whole point of the person you were responding to, was that because the center display is customizable, you can choose to present as much or as little information as possible, making your whole point completely moot about it being too crowded.

But it seems to me that you could do this with analog gauges.

You pretty much ignored his point with that remark. The fact of the matter is, you can't do that with analog gauges - period.

gabbo241 > spanfucker retire bitch 07/25/2014 at 12:14

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The point about night vision may be well be overstated. But I stand by my point that it the way most of these graphics are designed, it is far harder to get a quick read on vital information than traditional analog gauges. To say nothing of the aesthetic comparison, in which I think they fall far short. The sweep of real gauges, their depth and texture, is part of what contributes to the driving experience in my opinion. It cues that you're doing a real, consequential thing in the physical world, and not playing Gran Turismo 5.

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:16

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This is why I love my M car:

gabbo241 > spanfucker retire bitch 07/25/2014 at 12:16

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I mean you could execute the most utilitarian design - upper right - in analog gauges. In my opinion the rest are dopey (except maybe bottom left?) and then who would choose them anyway.

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:18

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That's literally just your opinion and isn't stated on any objective research or facts.

It cues that you're doing a real, consequential thing in the physical world, and not playing Gran Turismo 5.

With that last sentence, you're basically saying the average driver feels disconnected from reality and their actions, simply because the center console in front of them is now an LCD screen instead of a bunch of dials?

Nu uh. I'm not buying it. There's nothing to backup that ridiculous claim.

gabbo241 > spanfucker retire bitch 07/25/2014 at 12:20

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Do you prefer the look of nicely designed analog gauges, or one of these computer screens? That's basically all I'm asking.

Jayhawk Jake > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:21

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You think they have catching up to do based on what?

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:21

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That's not up to you to decide. They're customizable so the driver and owner of the vehicle can do with it what they wish. That's sort of the whole point. You can make it tell you whatever information you want in whatever density you want. This should be lauded. If you all want is the tachometer and speedometer - boom, that's it. If you want to add engine temp and fuel gauge - boom, that's done. Want to flip out the fuel and engine temp gauges for a little arrow to tell where you to go? Sure, go ahead.

It's all up to you. This is a good advancement. If you don't like the layout of the gauges - change them.

spanfucker retire bitch > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:22

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My current car has the analog, but I'd prefer the screens. Allows me more freedom.

gabbo241 > Jayhawk Jake 07/25/2014 at 12:26

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All glass instrument panels, voice activation, everything we're including under the rubric of "infotainment," is not yet well understood, and third party studies out so far are not encouraging: http://mashable.com/2013/06/12/car…

efme > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 07/25/2014 at 12:26

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agreed .

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Milky 07/25/2014 at 12:28

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That is... Beautiful.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:28

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Honestly, my ideal would be something like the Audi with the map in the dashboard, while having speed/revs projected onto the windshield as an HUD. Don't even have to glance down to see my speed, and if I want to look at my nav I just flick my eyes downward briefly instead of off to the right somewhere where the nav system is.

And night visibility? Even my Nokia with HERE Drive will automatically switch to a primarily-black theme when the sun goes down.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/25/2014 at 12:32

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Re: Maserati steering wheel:

efme > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:36

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lcd dashboards will improve. its people like you, with hatred towards new stuff, that they keep adding analog looking digital readouts. you want it to look like a gauge for you to hate it a little less. gmaps overlay is dumb i won't disagree with you... but you need contrasting whites to differentiate. have you ever looked at red lit stuff relatively dim in the dark? super hard to discern.

have 20 different digital readouts.. make them turn blinking RED when it goes into alarm and you're monitoring efficiently. example: I have to tell my wife "if the temp gauge goes higher than half way, its bad. stop the car". 95% of the general public do not know what they're staring at.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > gabbo241 07/25/2014 at 12:48

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I agree. I'm a millennial - I should be loving all these modern LCD displays but I just don't, unless they're crystal clear and beautiful (Volvo's is what I do like).

My main gripe with a screen is that it just changes too much and too quickly. I prefer old fashioned dials that stay where they are. Whenever I get into a modern car, I just wished that there were more visible gauges for things like oil temperature and a voltmeter. In fact, a voltmeter is one thing that I would like to be on more cars these days. We've got a factory voltmeter installed in our R53 Cooper S (not many people know that you could order a factory voltmeter) and it's been helpful so many times in telling us when the battery was on its way out.

Also, old fashioned dials mean that at night, unless the backlight is on, you can't see them. This means you have to turn the headlights on in order to see your instruments. These days, so many modern cars already have illuminated dashboards, I think they're distracting the driver from actually knowing whether or not the lights are on. That's one thing that really annoys me.

Amoore100 > For Sweden 07/25/2014 at 13:23

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dats swedish?

Clown Shoe Pilot > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 07/26/2014 at 15:12

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Why does it say "P"?

It BETTER be a very fancy flappy paddle :)

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > Clown Shoe Pilot 07/26/2014 at 21:01

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No worries! Mine's a 6MT, and it says "N" instead. ha