Ford Bows to Pressure, Revamps MyFord Touch

[Mycroft]

Fox News: Ford Bows to Pressure, Revamps Highly-Criticized Infotainment System - Nov 7, 2011

stung by falling quality ratings because of its glitch-prone MyFord Touch system, is planning a major upgrade that it hopes will fix the problems — and repair its own reputation.

MyFord Touch, which debuted last year on the Ford Edge, replaces traditional dashboard knobs and buttons with a touch screen. Drivers control climate, navigation, entertainment, phone calls and other functions using touch or voice commands. It's a $750 option on lower trim levels, but comes standard on higher-end ones. Ford quickly rolled out the system on the Ford Explorer, Ford Focus and other models.
Dealer phone lines and Internet chat rooms were soon buzzing with complaints. The system shut down without warning and took too long to reboot. It didn't understand voice commands and didn't always respond to owners' touch. Some owners found the information-packed screens overwhelming.

Forrest Brown, a Ford dealer in Dyersville, Iowa, got a barrage of complaints last winter when customers were unable to defrost their windshields or turn up the heat because their screens were going blank. But the problems have become less frequent as Ford updates the software. Brown has also started inviting customers back to the dealership so he can answer questions about the system.

Hopefully Tesla's programmers will do a better job and be MUCH faster with the updates!

[Leafer]

Fix Or Repair Daily

[ckessel]

I'm rather concerned about the Tesla touchscreen myself. I'm a programmer, I'm passionate about the craft, it's history, lessons learned, etc. I went back for my Master's on software process/culture/design/etc, and it's just the norm that software schedules are badly underestimated for all sorts of reasons. I really hope they're going for a very small set of must have functionality with a long list of "nice to haves" that can be cut as needed in the initial release, but added later. Given everything goes through that touch screen, it need to be rock solid...and no 1.0 software release ever is.

[Doug_G]

Found On Road Dead.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, Ford is on my lifetime black list, due to selling me a total lemon. In the first (and last) 18 months I owned that pile of junk, the transmission disintegrated (week 1!), fuel injection system failed (stranded on the highway), catalytic converter heat shield broke loose (roared so loud it scared pedestrians), front sway bar fell off (wtf?!?), electric locks failed, gas pedal failed, engine oil leaked, gas tank leaked, rain leaked into the cabin (seriously could these guys seal anything?), and, well, you get the idea. I took a bath and traded the thing after 18 months because I just couldn't take it any more!

[AnOutsider]

I'm rather concerned about the Tesla touchscreen myself. I'm a programmer, I'm passionate about the craft, it's history, lessons learned, etc. I went back for my Master's on software process/culture/design/etc, and it's just the norm that software schedules are badly underestimated for all sorts of reasons. I really hope they're going for a very small set of must have functionality with a long list of "nice to haves" that can be cut as needed in the initial release, but added later. Given everything goes through that touch screen, it need to be rock solid...and no 1.0 software release ever is.

Didn't know you coded as well. In any case, that's true, but I REALLY hope they've had a team on this since it was unveiled back in 09 (well technically, worked on since 08). Microsoft got Windows Phone out in a year and change (or was it 2?). Tesla doesn't have as many employees, but that may work FOR them since they'll be more agile.

A big upside is that the car is connected so it should be pretty trivial to fix any bugs or security issues on the fly.

[SByer]

We don't yet know what technology they will be using to drive that display, do we? Back when, it was to be a Java (where most of the low level drivers would live) + Flash combo. Flash doesn't have the best UI layout mechanisms, but HTML5 isn't really in terribly much better shape yet, either. HTML5 would allow for more rapid development, and a Linux based multi-process browser would be more secure (a lot more secure), and there's an open source implementation of such a beast already.

As for development practices, good ones can definitely make a big difference, but yeah, schedules are always tough.

I think Ford definitely took a wrong turn going with a Windows-based environment.

[Mycroft]

I think Ford thinks so too.

[AnOutsider]

Sbyer, I actually think flash has great UI potential. Much easier to design in.


Saw this video today:

[Robert.Boston]

Seatbelts appear to be optional in the Day of Glass.

Very cool video -- we can only hope that the UI on the Model S is as elegant as what was shown here.

[Mycroft]

She's wearing a seat belt, they just didn't show her putting it on.

I think Model S 1.5 or 2.0 will have the magic sky pano roof.