i have a question. how many of you think that the next generation of 911 will get something like BMWs iDrive? and how many of you think its a good or bad thing?

the reason i am asking this is that with number of switches and buttons on a fully loaded 997, the interior becomes somewhat cluttered.

now, i dont want to get flamed here as somebody who wants porsche to design something that doesn't engage the driver -- but look at M5/M6 and upcoming M3 -- they all have iDrive. New MB cars? iDrive-like design. Even audi is jumping on the bandwagon with MMI.

is iDrive perfect? no... far, from it. in fact, i said this many times: if BMW had half a brain, they would hire some of top Apples industrial designers to help with iDrive (think how simple iPod is and how simple and cool iPhone will be). but with an imperfect iDrive, it is still a 2nd nature to me in my 7er. i am so used to it, i can control it without looking at it (iDrive gives feedback to your hand as you use it). all the journalists bashing iDrive when it first came out probably never used iPod, TiVo and their VCR is still blinking 12:00

so... if porsche moved some of the options such as navigation, phone and audio controls, etc. into an iDrive type interface and left the important ones such as sport mode/pasm, etc. as switches, would people accept it?

considering how fast technology is advancing, would porsche eventually feel that it has no choice but to move to an iDrive like controller?

 

Give me buttons and ***** any day...

 

Ditto. I personally prefer having buttons and ***** then these complicated systems. Sometimes I think technology is getting too ahead of itself. I think that having something like iDrive in a 911 would take something away from the car.

 

Not to mention the distraction when you are trying to change settings like sport mode, etc.

How's that XKR treating you?

 

I like buttons, switches, levers, and flashing lights and I think Porsche does too

 

well, in my writeup, i specifically stated that certain things would remain adjustable via ***** and buttons. PASM, sport mode, PSE, etc...

but would putting things like nav route options or various AM/FM settings into an iDrive like system really take something away from the car?

right now there are about 50 or so various ***** and switches on the 997. where would you draw the line? cars only get more and more features coming - active cruise control, bluetooth, real time nav traffic info, night vision, etc, etc... you cant possible fit everything without going to sometime like iDrive.

i think that a properly designed and engineered iDrive would actually make driving 911 easier and simpler. your sport mode button or turbo boost button or "make me go faster" button would not have to be surrounded by "dial pizza via bluetooth" button or "calculate fastest route via freeways while avoiding tolls and traffic" button.

 

So far so good. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

not only porsche. i think a certain company up north does too:

 

Well, in MY write-up, I am familiar with how IDrive really works (i.e. changing modes in the menus, etc.). And it's ****e...

 

lol jkb thats what I mean.... a button is a lot less distracting than scrolling through a bunch of menus!

 

can you elaborate more? what exactly is ****e about it? just curious since i actually more on the "i love it" side of the fence.

 

Well, let's see... where should I begin?

First - Simple instructions are buried 3-4 levels deep in the menus.

Second - Since the 8-way IDrive selector has no real detents, it's very easy to click up instead of upper left or upper right. This might mean I get a new radio station instead of adjusting my seat.

Third - Many of the more mundane, frequently used items are not accessible from anything but IDrive. This is a big problem when I am driving in traffic at 70+ mph and I need to make a quick adjustment on one of the plethora of items buried in the cursed computer.

I'm sure there are many more, but those alone make it sufficiently tiresome.

 

aha... exactly my point! your problem is not with the concept itself, but with the implementation! iDrive does not have the best UI design -- if apple did the design, i am sure a lot of the problems you mention wouldn't be there.

also, keep in mind iDrive is a new technology. in a few years it will evolve into something that is easier to use for all people no matter how detached they are from technology (not saying you are, but i can imagine for a 60 year old person who is not technically savvy iDrive is a problem)

(btw, fwiw, you can do a lot of stuff via voice command when you driving at 70+ mph)

 

Call me a luddite, but even though I work in a technology field, I don't trust voice-activated commands, etc. I've seen way too much stuff fail at exactly the wrong time.

I don't mind minimizing clutter - I think it's just better accomplished by reducing the "amenities" a car has. If I have radio controls, HVAC controls and the wheel/stick/pedals, I'm happy. All this Bluetooth, etc. is unnecessary nonsense. People shouldn't be chit-chatting on the phone while driving anyway. Hands-free is a fallacy...

 

I like it the way it is. I think the interior looks refined and sofisticated at the same time. Its really easy, in my opinion.