Computer screens on car dashboards.

[badabec]

From the early 70s, all controls at your fingertips, a Citroen GS

 

[Morrisman]

My Berlingo van is like that, right PITA on the narrow winding estate roads, one corner you have to lean forward and peer, the next you have to lean back and squint.

A few years ago some clown cashed in on the issue, and put a narrow window down the centre of the A pillar, bragging to the whole world what a safety conscious move it was....
...but really just more designer gimmickry.

I drove one once, a hire car, can't remember the brand, and it was obviously a stupid idea.

 

[minimutly]

I would imagine there is definitely a marketing element to it - everything has a touchscreen these days.

I can also see there is also a manufacturing aspect to it - i.e. you don't have to manufacture lots of different controls, buttons, levers etc.
One touchscreen with one connector and then the rest of it is simply software which can be altered to add different features and controls depending on the model and options. So it is probably a lot easier for the manufacturers from that point of view.

Touchscreens are fine if you’re sitting on the sofa...

 

[Hood]

Touchscreens are fine if you’re sitting on the sofa...

How the hell do you get the sofa in the car?

 

[addjunkie]

How the hell do you get the sofa in the car?

Big car or little sofa

 

[Bullet2012]

How the hell do you get the sofa in the car?

 

[Hood]

View attachment 340685

I would argue that that is the car in the sofa.

 

[ajlelectronics]

 

[gerrymoore]

My car has head up display ...I don't know why every car doesn't have this!! Without moving my head I can see the current road speed limit (this changes instantly if the limit changes even at temporary road works) and the speed I am driving ...it's fantastic.

It also shows me every turn and junction and a visible countdown in metres to the next turn from my sat nav and I can, if I touch media button on my steering wheel, see what radio station I am listening to or what song I am playing. All this information is shown about 3 feet away 'on top of my bonnet' so I do not need to lose sight of the road at anytime.

It took me a short time to get used to but now when I drive my wife's car without HUD I miss it completely..... with HUD you have no excuse for being caught speeding!!!

Another 'option' I have is automatic headlight assist ..it dips the main beam automatically and is faster and more reliable than you can do yourself and never, ever, gets caught out .. again amazing and much safer than having to think and then dip every time a car comes along ....

Yet another safety option ...active cruise control ...I set my speed to that of car in front - say 60mph - if the car goes faster I stay at 60 but if it slows down my car will slow and keep a safe distance - if it comes to a complete stop my car will also stop and only restart back up to 60 when I touch the throttle and it's safe to do so ..... it also acts as pedestrian avoidance - someone steps out the car will brake sharply to try and avoid an accident.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

....without even a working speedo let alone indicators

So, a BMW then?

 

[RWD3M]

I bet the pilot was also warned with some form of audio device.

PM me if you want to know how that actually happened

 

[bigegg]

I would argue that, since say, 1980?, control of moving objects via computer screen has become more and more prevalent - and what may seem uncomfortable or apparently unsafe to those of us who are older may just be normal to younger people who grew up playing "ridge Racer" or mario kart.

Plus, if you've never driven off road, in the pitch dark, at 50mph, using an IR camera feeding a dashboard screen? I recommend it - for heart stopping fun/terror.

 

[zx9]

I drove one once, a hire car, can't remember the brand, and it was obviously a stupid idea.

Merc A class if it was small or Vito if it was big?

 

[Morrisman]

Merc A class if it was small or Vito if it was big?

It was a smallish hire car, but don't think it was a Merc. Probably a decade ago as well.

 

[mtt.tr]

Should this thread not be named, show me how old you are without telling me your age

 

[zx9]

It was a smallish hire car, but don't think it was a Merc. Probably a decade ago as well.

Apologies, I just looked at a year 2000 A class, the bit I remembered as a window is not even a window it is the A pillar painted to look like a window

Google images 2000 A Class Merc.

 

[Hood]

Should this thread not be named, show me how old you are without telling me your age

Probably not going to work as I am expecting that you are thinking all the naysayers will be old and all the ones saying it is fine will be young. Well I am old and I like tech.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Should this thread not be named, show me how old you are without telling me your age

Or let’s all moan for the sake of moaning. Oh, actually we already have a thread for that.
Seriously, I don’t understand why touchscreens are such an issue and like it or not, they’re the future.

 

[mike os]

Or let’s all moan for the sake of moaning. Oh, actually we already have a thread for that.
Seriously, I don’t understand why touchscreens are such an issue and like it or not, they’re the future.

wonder how long it will be before we start hearing the touchscreen stopped responding and i couldnt turn off the cruise control ?

 

[mike os]

Should this thread not be named, show me how old you are without telling me your age

why? are you that old?

my current car display is all screen, but its in front of me, and has real buttons and switches that i can operate without looking at them, this works...