quagmire02 All American 44225 Posts user info edit post |
now that i've got your attention (because, of course, there ARE computers in cars and trucks), my question is why don't they have more features?
for example, what if you have a little card slot that would allow you to input a card when you got in the car - the memory card would contain your seat position, temperature preferences, favorite stations, all that jazz...the card could also act as your key...you could drive different cars and those equipped with the card slot and software would automatically adjust themselves to your preferences
additionally, why do we still have analog gauges? i realize that there is an aesthetic (as well as nostalgic) quality associated with good old fashioned analog dials, but why don't we digitize the whole thing? you could have two major readouts that wouldn't change (say, speed and tach) and then have 2 others that would rotate through several different informative numbers (temperature, odometer, whatever)
perhaps (and probably) these features already exist, i am just unaware of them...seriously, though, why don't we do this? there's a whole host of features you could add to this, and all it would take is some software, a small bit of hardware, and some cajones to change things
feel free to flame me, i'm ready for it! 3/14/2006 6:40:48 PM |
Igor All American 6672 Posts user info edit post |
a) because you dont want your car to run windows b) memory presets for 1-2-3 drivers already exist c) because digital gauges suck 3/14/2006 6:43:17 PM |
OmarBadu zidik 25071 Posts user info edit post |
http://mp3car.com/vbulletin/
people have been doing what you are talking about for years - on a different scale and in a different way than you are referring to though i believe
Quote : | "additionally, why do we still have analog gauges? i realize that there is an aesthetic (as well as nostalgic) quality associated with good old fashioned analog dials, but why don't we digitize the whole thing? you could have two major readouts that wouldn't change (say, speed and tach) and then have 2 others that would rotate through several different informative numbers (temperature, odometer, whatever)" |
humans can tell relative change (accelaration for example) better with analog gauges - do some research in industrial design/ergonomics/human factors
[Edited on March 14, 2006 at 6:44 PM. Reason : .]3/14/2006 6:43:20 PM |
quagmire02 All American 44225 Posts user info edit post |
^^ current uses aren't nearly as complete as they could be
^ yeah...i meant more as a factory standard (and i did not know that about the gauges)
[Edited on March 14, 2006 at 6:45 PM. Reason : penis.] 3/14/2006 6:45:06 PM |
Noen All American 31346 Posts user info edit post |
as for the guages, they tried it in the 80's and they failed miserably.
Analog gauges are MUCH better for many reasons, it has a lot to do with human factors, interface design and psychology. Now, digital analog guages might be interesting, but all that shit gets real expensive real quick.
And a lot of the mid and high end sedans now have hybrid style instrument clusters to do pretty much what you are suggesting.
There are some fucking AMAZING things being done in hardware, factory standard. Look at the volvo S80, and new high end Mercedes models. It's getting crazy.
[Edited on March 14, 2006 at 6:47 PM. Reason : .] 3/14/2006 6:46:51 PM |
whtmike2k All American 2504 Posts user info edit post |
some cars did have digital gauges...they're called early 90's minivans and they're annoying as hell. i think i've seen a couple of new cars with em, but its like watching an alarm clock cycle through the day in fast forward. it just doesnt look good 3/14/2006 6:48:58 PM |
tchenku midshipman 18586 Posts user info edit post |
shwing
3/14/2006 6:54:48 PM |
Noen All American 31346 Posts user info edit post |
completely worthless concept rendering, but still sweet as shit looking... schwing 3/14/2006 6:56:37 PM |
plumturboeg6 Veteran 448 Posts user info edit post |
^^^early 90's minivans?...what about datsun 280zx's...awful idea 3/14/2006 7:20:25 PM |
0 Suspended 3198 Posts user info edit post |
the S2000 has mostly all digital gauges, right? 3/14/2006 7:38:25 PM |
tchenku midshipman 18586 Posts user info edit post |
^the digital tach is kind of analog.. it's like the one in GT4 from 3rd person view 3/14/2006 7:43:56 PM |
whtmike2k All American 2504 Posts user info edit post |
^^^ yeah, my mom's old ford aerostar and dodge caravan both had em. nasty neon green lcd displays
[Edited on March 14, 2006 at 10:54 PM. Reason : sp] 3/14/2006 10:53:52 PM |
toyotafj40s All American 8649 Posts user info edit post |
i think newer sport bikes have them. i dont like that, all i like is a digital speedo. 3/14/2006 11:11:35 PM |
Lowjack All American 10491 Posts user info edit post |
s-class 3/14/2006 11:16:31 PM |
EhSteve All American 7240 Posts user info edit post |
the nissan nx2000 had digital gauges in some models too I believe... 3/15/2006 1:11:55 AM |
quagmire02 All American 44225 Posts user info edit post |
oh....this is why i don't post in the garage all that often 3/15/2006 9:25:57 AM |
Jek All American 709 Posts user info edit post |
The S2000 dash is all digital, but as stated above the tachometer is an "analog" digital gauge. I loved it right from the start, it's huge and colorful and easy to see even if you're not looking down at your gauges. I like it way better than the analog tachs on my older cars. It also flashes at you when you're about to hit that lovely 9200RPM redline
The digital speedometer took some getting used to though, and I'm still not sure it's a good idea. It's easy to see and updates really fast, but the lack of rate of change information can be annoying. I've seen it jump over 5mph at a time on onramps.
Of course, as my HPDE instructor told me when I asked about the broken speedometer in his RX-7, he replied "Speed doesn't matter in racing because there's only two speeds: Faster than the other guy and slower than the other guy." So I guess that was probably part of Honda's thinking when they made the Tach take up the vast majority of the gauge area. 3/15/2006 10:01:34 AM |
MattJM321 All American 4003 Posts user info edit post |
yea i bet..
3/15/2006 12:12:37 PM |
69 Suspended 15861 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "i think newer sport bikes have them. i dont like that, all i like is a digital speedo" |
my '83 virago xv920m had a digital gauge cluster, till i swapped it out for an analog one from an 82, its hard to read in the daytime3/15/2006 12:58:43 PM |
huntman200 Veteran 331 Posts user info edit post |
Most, if not all, of the features in the original post are already done.
My roomates newer chevy truck had two keyless entry remotes and if the truck was unlock by one, it would adjust the seat, change the radio stations, etc. 3/15/2006 3:38:34 PM |
HaLo All American 14263 Posts user info edit post |
06 civics have a digital speedometer with an analog tach 3/15/2006 11:07:24 PM |
J_Gatsby All American 1336 Posts user info edit post |
the shit that car has is insane
you can set cruise control to follow a car (i.e. DONT DO THIS but if you're drunk you can follow a car on the beltline then follow a car the rest of the way home, it can know when to stop at lights and go when its green and maintain a reasonable distance on its own)3/15/2006 11:20:31 PM |
quagmire02 All American 44225 Posts user info edit post |
this stuff isn't even all that high-tech...but i'll bet i won't see it in a saturn in the next 10 years 3/16/2006 12:08:26 AM |
Woodfoot All American 60354 Posts user info edit post |
my voice is my passport, verify me 3/16/2006 12:12:45 AM |
nacstate All American 3785 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "you can set cruise control to follow a car (i.e. DONT DO THIS but if you're drunk you can follow a car on the beltline then follow a car the rest of the way home, it can know when to stop at lights and go when its green and maintain a reasonable distance on its own)" |
not sure if its the same car or not, but some old episode of top gear showed a video of mercedes demonstrating this cruise control that would automatically slow you down when cars in front of you slowed down.
the car rear ended the one in front of it.3/16/2006 1:19:16 AM |
Lowjack All American 10491 Posts user info edit post |
^lexus has that now, too 3/16/2006 1:24:35 AM |
nacstate All American 3785 Posts user info edit post |
i would hope it works better 3/16/2006 1:28:13 AM |
Lowjack All American 10491 Posts user info edit post |
I guess I would trust the japs with that kind of thing before the nazis
[Edited on March 16, 2006 at 1:53 AM. Reason : sdfsdf] 3/16/2006 1:53:39 AM |
MattJM321 All American 4003 Posts user info edit post |
dad's infiniti has it. pretty cool when it applies the brakes and all 3/16/2006 4:02:45 AM |
plumturboeg6 Veteran 448 Posts user info edit post |
caddy's (for the geriatrics) have had the distance maintaining cruise for quite some time now 3/16/2006 9:28:32 AM |
bcsawyer All American 4562 Posts user info edit post |
cars are overpriced enough and have way too much expensive stuff to tear up as it is. 3/16/2006 9:44:21 PM |
synchrony7 All American 4462 Posts user info edit post |
I kind of used to enjoy watching my odometer role over when I hit a milestone like 100,000 miles on my old car. My new car has a digital one, and while the multiple trip odometers are nice, it doesn't interest me at all to watch it change. 3/20/2006 5:42:59 PM |