Firmware 7.0 Beta Discussion

[dirkhh]

Some fair points. That said, your experience with beta testing, in this context, is no more significant than mine. Hence, my original assertion that people are really getting worked up over something that they do not have yet / have not actually seen yet. And you've been at the front of that line and quite vocal about it. The way you're pushing the point, IMO foments discord when you honestly know as little as I do. It's vaguely irrational and difficult to understand.

I've been doing software development (mostly in open source, but a fair bit of proprietary stuff) about as long as you. And I think I understand testing methodology very well. And testing a firmware beta with a misleading UI. Umm. Occam's razor would point in the other direction. I grant you that it is possible that they are doing A/B testing with different options, but given what I know about the size of the firmware team at Tesla I am quite skeptical.
Frankly, I find it extremely likely that this is the direction that they currently think they are going. If we are lucky we can change their mind, but given the time frame for the Model X release I'm pretty sure that this is what we'll get.

This isn't a web app.

Heh. Ye think? Thank you for that bit of condescension.

Actually, that's a fact. This is a Qt user interface. What's interesting in this context is that to the best of my knowledge Tesla is the only of the major car makers who is doing their Qt UI development in house. I happen to be reasonably close with several of the major Qt development houses who between them do the IVI interfaces for most of the major car makers (Qt is pretty much the standard for UIs shipping in 2013-2015... things are slowly moving to web apps with the first vendors prototyping that for their '17 model year cars).

I'll be honest - I'm not sure if you should call out Hank for being condescending. To me it's your posts that read a lot more condescending than his.

 

[perkiset]

I'll be honest - I'm not sure if you should call out Hank for being condescending. To me it's your posts that read a lot more condescending than his.

An unexpected assertion. Reading back, I don't follow that. But I'll watch my posts in any case. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[30seconds]

My 2002 M5 has temp in the IC, but no time. The time is displayed in the corner of the 7" LCD nav screen in the center console. I've been driving that car for 10 years, and I *still* hate to have to glance over at the Nav screen, and refocus my eyes on the little time display in the corner every time I want to check the time. There is a huge difference between glancing at the IC and looking at the touchscreen while driving.

you will probably hate knowing that the 540 version of the same year displayed time in the IC when you cycled through the stalk button.

Still better to have that M5. Remarkable car. Do you ever drive it?

 

[Andyw2100]

And this thread alone shows just how vocal owners can be.

This thread shows how vocal owners can be when it appears that an aspect of their cars that they care deeply about, and use quite literally every minute that they are driving, may be having critical features removed from it.

There's the old adage about panic being at its highest point when the avenues of escape are still open, but are in the process of closing. I think that's analogous to what we're seeing here. We think that perhaps we still may have a small window of time in which to convince Tesla to change what it appears they may well be doing, but we know that window is closing fast.

 

[gsxdsm]

So has anyone delivered a certified letter to Elon with concerns yet?

(Not be facetious, really - has anyone considered this?)

 

[Andyw2100]

So has anyone delivered a certified letter to Elon with concerns yet?

Hmmm...a letter to Elon Musk. That's an idea. Why didn't I think of that!

 

[GregTexas]

There's the old adage about panic being at its highest point when the avenues of escape are still open, but are in the process of closing. I think that's analogous to what we're seeing here. We think that perhaps we still may have a small window of time in which to convince Tesla to change what it appears they may well be doing, but we know that window is closing fast.

My thoughts precisely. I want the AP nag gone before the window closes.

 

[HankLloydRight]

you will probably hate knowing that the 540 version of the same year displayed time in the IC when you cycled through the stalk button.

Yes, I can put the time in the LED display on the IC, but I like to leave that panel normally blank for actual warnings or error messages. It's a big panel, and having the time there is a little too big and a tad distracting since it's glowing orange light against an otherwise dark background.

Still better to have that M5. Remarkable car. Do you ever drive it?

Absolutely! I drive it once or twice a week when I'm going places I might not want to take the MS. I also drive it in the snow/ice with snow tires whereas I only put all-seasons on the MS for cold-weather driving (but not snow). This is NOT because the MS isn't good for winter weather, it's just there's lots of bad drivers in the winter, and if someone's going to hit me, I'd rather it be the M5 than the MS!

 

[Max*]

So has anyone delivered a certified letter to Elon with concerns yet?

(Not be facetious, really - has anyone considered this?)

Concerns over what? A leaked BETA image?

Yes, there's a high change the real thing will look like the beta, but what if it doesn't? Why waste time and effort now, instead of waiting the 1-27 months it'll take for V7 to come out and see if you actually don't like it (after giving it a try) and THEN delivering writing to Tesla?

 

[HankLloydRight]

Concerns over what? A leaked BETA image?
Yes, there's a high change the real thing will look like the beta, but what if it doesn't? Why waste time and effort now, instead of waiting the 1-27 months it'll take for V7 to come out and see if you actually don't like it (after giving it a try) and THEN delivering writing to Tesla?

As vocal as I've been about this, I'd agree. There's no basis to complain to Tesla until we have the actual thing in our hands (or vicariously watching those brave souls who choose to update to 7.x.)

 

[Max*]

As vocal as I've been about this, I'd agree. There's no basis to complain to Tesla until we have the actual thing in our hands (or vicariously watching those brave souls who choose to update to 7.x.)

I'm updating the second the notification shows up .

 

[Thud]

It probably is, but I've always been passionate about User Interfaces (Occupational Hazard)

I still feel even the basic trip display is childish. A swoosh road icon? A tiny stop watch? This is supposed to be a world class, sophisticated automobile, not a little kids toy.

In its current form, this world class sophisticated automobile has a switch that says "ludicrous" on the main display, a volume setting that goes to 11 (inside joke), and toyish looking icons on the center screen. And I love every bit of it.

The new basic trip display is great, it's monochrome and minimalist. It's fitting with what modern day electronic devices present as well, whereas most sophisticated automobiles have GUI's that look like they came from the 1980's.

What would be more fitting of a "world class, sophisticated automobile?" Should we use Ferrari as an example?

 

[HankLloydRight]

This is what I want.

 

[FlasherZ]

Concerns over what? A leaked BETA image?

Yes, there's a high change the real thing will look like the beta, but what if it doesn't? Why waste time and effort now, instead of waiting the 1-27 months it'll take for V7 to come out and see if you actually don't like it (after giving it a try) and THEN delivering writing to Tesla?

Or, perhaps providing your feedback through the normal channels first, once you experience the final product for a week or so?

 

[apacheguy]

I'm updating the second the notification shows up .

I'm updating the second 7.1 shows up to fix 7.0 :tongue:

 

[andrewket]

This thread shows how vocal owners can be when it appears that an aspect of their cars that they care deeply about, and use quite literally every minute that they are driving, may be having critical features removed from it.

There's the old adage about panic being at its highest point when the avenues of escape are still open, but are in the process of closing. I think that's analogous to what we're seeing here. We think that perhaps we still may have a small window of time in which to convince Tesla to change what it appears they may well be doing, but we know that window is closing fast.

Except that it's not a one-way door (or window, in your metaphor). Tesla could release the UI that we are seeing now to get AP in our hands, and follow up with another release that updates/improves the UI. It's not a perfect solution, but a manager somewhere is going to have to make this trade off between time to market when they are already extremely late and a UI that pleases most today.

If it was me, I'd get AP out ASAP. All the feedback here has to be taken with a grain of salt because we haven't had an opportunity to really use AP or the UI and figure out what's important to us.

 

[Max*]

Or, perhaps providing your feedback through the normal channels first, once you experience the final product for a week or so?

That's what I meant (I didn't say to EM, I said to Tesla), could've phrased it better.

 

[dirkhh]

I'm updating the second 7.1 shows up to fix 7.0 :tongue:

That's what I'm thinking. My guess is that based on the Model X release timing 7.0 will go out with the UI we've seen.
And that then we'll get 7.1 in a few months with a hopefully improved UI.
I'll gladly skip 7.0

 

[apacheguy]

If it was me, I'd get AP out ASAP. All the feedback here has to be taken with a grain of salt because we haven't had an opportunity to really use AP or the UI and figure out what's important to us.

And that's entirely valid coming from someone who has AP hardware. But I really do hope Tesla holds back on the update for pre-APs. I don't want my car coming back from service on Oct. 1 with 7.0

 

[OddB]

Elon said in Denmark this week that the highway self driving will be here in a month....