Sync Has Ability to Block Functions

[ANTAUS]

My link

[RichardJensen]

Beautiful accompanying photo for that article.

 

The article notes that Ford is barring any action that requires a keypad, and the photo shows the Fiesta equipped with the oh-so-popular-in-Europe phone keypad on the far right side of the dashboard. This thing is already nine different kinds of useless. The fact that Ford is now blocking its use while the vehicle is moving merely adds a tenth different kind of uselessness to this thing.

[silvrsvt]

Beautiful accompanying photo for that article.

 

The article notes that Ford is barring any action that requires a keypad, and the photo shows the Fiesta equipped with the oh-so-popular-in-Europe phone keypad on the far right side of the dashboard. This thing is already nine different kinds of useless. The fact that Ford is now blocking its use while the vehicle is moving merely adds a tenth different kind of uselessness to this thing.

 

Funny you bring that up..was reading an article some where about connecting up Ipods and other MP3 players to base model cars like the Scion Tc, Fiesta, etc...the biggest complaint was how bad the controls where on the Fiesta..which is the first time I've read anything negative about the car. The complaints where how small the buttons where etc.

 

Overall most of cars implementations left them disappointed.

[aneekr]

Does Ford have technology to "block" unruly children from entering their parents' car?

[rkisler]

Beautiful accompanying photo for that article.

 

The article notes that Ford is barring any action that requires a keypad, and the photo shows the Fiesta equipped with the oh-so-popular-in-Europe phone keypad on the far right side of the dashboard. This thing is already nine different kinds of useless. The fact that Ford is now blocking its use while the vehicle is moving merely adds a tenth different kind of uselessness to this thing.

 

Richard, you are messed up. You should know that everything from Europe is perfect. That is, until it actually gets here, then everyone can complain that Ford "messed it up."

 

Instrument Panel space is some of the most fought-over territory in the development of a vehicle. To devote so much space to a useless keypad when you have voice capability is incredibly stupid. Certainly a case where Europe doesn't know best.

 

Maybe we can force them to smarten up and get rid of it in the next-gen Fiesta by pushing back hard (or perhaps have a display with keypad touch capability as one of the functions). But FoE is more known for hubris rather than humility, so the chances of successfully getting them to do something that's right but coming from the American side is minimal. We are, after all, a bunch of unsophisticated country bumpkins who don't know how to drive, so why should they pay attention? And they only very reluctantly made cupholders so we could drink our giant slurpies while we tool along with one finger on the steering wheel.

[PREMiERdrum]

Our new Escape and Focus both have the numeric keypad... and I'm befuddled as to how it is supposed to be used. I guess you could manually enter radio stations (right? I know you can enter Sirius stations), but with 10 AM presets, 20 FM presets, and 30 Sirius presets, I can't imagine a situation where I would need to.

[RichardJensen]

Our new Escape and Focus both have the numeric keypad...

Not quite the same thing.

 

Ford NA has smaller buttons arrayed in a much more space-friendly row.

 

The Fiesta has them in a brick shaped cluster that mimics a phone keypad.

 

I'm certain that Ford went from 6 radio presets to 10, because they needed a full 0-9 button set for other services, and by combining that button set with the radio presets they could *gasp* reduce the clutter on the center stack.

[PREMiERdrum]

Not quite the same thing.

 

Ford NA has smaller buttons arrayed in a much more space-friendly row.

 

The Fiesta has them in a brick shaped cluster that mimics a phone keypad.

 

I'm certain that Ford went from 6 radio presets to 10, because they needed a full 0-9 button set for other services, and by combining that button set with the radio presets they could *gasp* reduce the clutter on the center stack.

 

It may just be my generation, but I think that a phone style keypad would be easier to navigate without looking at (so long as you remember if "1" is top left or bottom left) than the 2-row set-up in our new cars.

 

It's obvious that the center stack of the Fiesta was designed Form over Function, which is the same as the rest of the car (sacrificing rear leg and cargo room for styling). The target customer for this car won't mind the number pad.

[RichardJensen]

Instrument Panel space is some of the most fought-over territory in the development of a vehicle. To devote so much space to a useless keypad when you have voice capability is incredibly stupid. Certainly a case where Europe doesn't know best.

Barring a few lapses (mainly the mid 90s single DIN all button radio), Ford NA has done a fantastic job with IP ergonomics. Not always the flashiest designs, but seldom topped in terms of usability.

 

I do like the layout of the Fiesta's HVAC controls, but the rest of the controls and instruments are a decided step backwards from the rest of Ford NA.

 

Fortunately, the '12 Focus dispenses with the superfluous keypad, and seems to have better ergonomics--or at least better functional grouping than the Fiesta. Although, once again, I rail at the idiocy of placing the central lock switch on the center of the instrument panel.

 

[keoni]

Not quite the same thing.

 

Ford NA has smaller buttons arrayed in a much more space-friendly row.

 

The Fiesta has them in a brick shaped cluster that mimics a phone keypad.

 

I'm certain that Ford went from 6 radio presets to 10, because they needed a full 0-9 button set for other services, and by combining that button set with the radio presets they could *gasp* reduce the clutter on the center stack.

 

 

So you're saying a phone keypad is less friendly than a single row of buttons? Don't tell cell phone manufacturers.

 

Granted it is not a rotary but most people will instantly recognize a keypad. Though, I agree that it seems useless.

[RichardJensen]

The target customer for this car won't mind the number pad.

 

Actually, the target customer probably thinks it's the coolest thing since -- well, who knows.

 

Little do they realize that it's basically the functional equivalent of coach lights, opera windows, and landau irons.

 

It's useless, but looks cool (and by '70s standards all of the above looked cool).

[RichardJensen]

So you're saying a phone keypad is less friendly than a single row of buttons?

 

IF the keys are primarily used to dial phone numbers, then yes, a keypad layout is more intuitive.

 

But when the keys are primarily used to select radio presets, then a layout that mimics the radio button convention is far more intuitive.

[silvrsvt]

 

 

Fortunately, the '12 Focus dispenses with the superfluous keypad, and seems to have better ergonomics--or at least better functional grouping than the Fiesta. Although, once again, I rail at the idiocy of placing the central lock switch on the center of the instrument panel.

 

 

 

I seriously hate any car that has its locks located on the center console...never got why they did that besides maybe making it easier/cheaper

[akirby]

I seriously hate any car that has its locks located on the center console...never got why they did that besides maybe making it easier/cheaper

 

One set instead of two. Simplifies the door wiring and design. And it's the same for RHD and LHD.

[RichardJensen]

One set instead of two. Simplifies the door wiring and design. And it's the same for RHD and LHD.

 

Huh? Since when did a front passenger door *not* have a central lock switch?

 

And door mounted central locks consists of one extra button assembly and two extra wires--hardly a deal breaker, when you consider that about 8 wires are already being sent into the driver's door just for the window controls.

 

This is an instance of Ford NA being forced to sacrifice a better way of doing things in order to palliate a majority that prefers a less user-friendly way of doing things.

 

Sadly, this may mean that (for consistency's sake) the CD4s will be saddled with this ergonomic offense, despite the dramatic disparity between NA volume (where locks on doors are expected) and ROW volume.

Edited July 8, 2010 by RichardJensen

[akirby]

Huh? Since when did a front passenger door *not* have a central lock switch?

 

And door mounted central locks consists of one extra button assembly and two extra wires--hardly a deal breaker, when you consider that about 8 wires are already being sent into the driver's door just for the window controls.

 

This is an instance of Ford NA being forced to sacrifice a better way of doing things in order to palliate a majority that prefers a less user-friendly way of doing things.

 

Sadly, this may mean that (for consistency's sake) the CD4s will be saddled with this ergonomic offense, despite the dramatic disparity between NA volume (where locks on doors are expected) and ROW volume.

 

I didn't say it was a deal breaker. The front passenger lock switch and the driver's lock switch are totally different - they're not identical because the driver has switches for all 4 windows and the passenger does not. This gives you 4 switches in the middle period.

 

I had it on the Aviator and honestly it never made a difference other than sometimes forgetting where it was after not driving it for awhile.

 

I'm not advocating it - just explaing that it does have some advantages.

[RichardJensen]

I'm not advocating it - just explaing that it does have some advantages.

 

As far as I can see there is a nearly non-existent cost advantage, in that you can eliminate *one* central lock switch and *one* power window switch, and a certain simplification of manufacturing, in that you don't have to differentiate between driver and passenger door panels and wiring depending on whether the vehicle is RHD or LHD.

 

Since the cost savings are all but nonexistent, and the manufacturing simplification seems trivial when compared with the large scale changes in assembly required for RHD vs LHD, I consider the advantage to be almost exclusively one of convention, and a bad convention at that.

Edited July 8, 2010 by RichardJensen

[RangerM]

Barring a few lapses (mainly the mid 90s single DIN all button radio), Ford NA has done a fantastic job with IP ergonomics. Not always the flashiest designs, but seldom topped in terms of usability.

 

I do like the layout of the Fiesta's HVAC controls, but the rest of the controls and instruments are a decided step backwards from the rest of Ford NA.

 

Fortunately, the '12 Focus dispenses with the superfluous keypad, and seems to have better ergonomics--or at least better functional grouping than the Fiesta. Although, once again, I rail at the idiocy of placing the central lock switch on the center of the instrument panel.

 

I don't agree with that. I found using the low mounted HVAC controls (the buttons in particular) on the Fusion I rented a couple of weeks ago were inconvenient to use (without looking) because the gear shift kept getting in the way. The usual three knobs would likely have been an improvement.

 

Looking at that picture, it's possible the gear shift would sufficiently lay over so as not to get in the way, but the Fusion didn't have that. Also, the lack of navigation made the real estate taken by the radio seem ridiculous to me.

[RichardJensen]

I don't agree with that.

Did I say that everything else was perfect? I did not. Placing HVAC lower than radio makes sense, as you will probably adjust the radio more often than the HVAC. However, recessing the HVAC (as done on the Fusion) is a mistake.

 

The controls, though, are fine. But they're not placed optimally. The '08 Focus/Escape do HVAC/radio much better, IMO.

[mettech]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g39JrObzmg&feature=player_embedded#!