[TheoIam]

Originally Posted by R N M

Automakers usually sign long deals with suppliers 5+ years, so this thing will be around until next generation of cars. I just don’t get why they can’t have different dash designs for M cars vs EV.

OR why did they go to all the trouble of fitting the current 3 series dash and Idrive 7 into the new 230/240 to only have it for the 22 model year.

It’s to bad the G87, well and along with all 23 2 series, will have to make the Idrive 8 change.

If you could get the 22 2 series Idrive 7 dash in the G87 at least as an option on launch I bet almost 75% of buyers would opt for it. Including me.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by TR930

Analog gauges and a stick will always be cool.

HEAR HEAR!

[Fix_The_Cigarette_Lighter]

Gack. One of the reasons (driver-focused technology vs. "me too" trendiness) why I bought a BMW is out the window.

[Griz]

Originally Posted by frankiebones

You CAN still dim it and change it to your liking. In all honesty, they have to keep up with the times. Look at the interior of a Tesla and it is infinitely "cooler" than anyone else's interior and I know 2 people who (non enthusiasts) who went to Tesla for no other reason.

I understand the business decision. I’m still disappointed. I liked how the E9X gave you the choice on the nav screen. The technology is dated as soon as it hits the lot, and it’s guaranteed to crap out at 60k miles.

[frankiebones]

Originally Posted by Griz

I understand the business decision. I’m still disappointed. I liked how the E9X gave you the choice on the nav screen. The technology is dated as soon as it hits the lot, and it’s guaranteed to crap out at 60k miles.

Fair point. I get it. The only thing I prefer about my F80 CS versus my G80 is the analog gauges (especially the tachometer). However, I do enjoy all the other benefits of a fully digital instrument cluster.

[BMthusiast]

Personally having buttons is an absolute must. I love having HUD on/off programmed to button 1, iDrive on/off programmed to button 2, and Sport Displays programmed to button 3, with music, stereo EQ, map, psi levels, and other drive settings programmed to the remaining buttons. Getting what you need with ONE PUSH of a button is imperative for me when operating a vehicle. Also, having to keep the screen on just to manage the air isn't ideal since I usually drive with the screen off, but at least "Climate Menu" is always available at the bottom portion of the screen. And thankfully the E brake is button accessible. No buttons or dial for headlights/taillights isn't that big of a deal since it's usually a one-time thing depending on time of day. Overall this doesn't feel like an upgrade at all, rather a downgrade and a hindrance to driving safely. Why can't BMW do this new setup with programmable buttons? Why remove instant accessibility?

[NightWriter]

Putting aside the fact that this presenter is a little dorky and was clearly learning his way through the system in real-time (i.e. rather than truly guiding someone on its merits), I'm a little ambivalent here...

Pros:
- The increasing number of capabilities/features and customizations in a modern BMW require a software solution; we can't button our way out of this (lest we end up with a Boeing dashboard)
- Overall, the interface looks clean/sharp, well-organized, and quick to respond
- Climate control is "docked" and always available
- Common audio controls (volume, prev/next track) as well as hazard and defrost still have real buttons
- Apparently there are some hardware button shortcuts (e.g. the seat comfort), so maybe that's an approach we'll see more of that helps bridge this UX challenge
- Although not mentioned in this video, bear in mind that audio inputs will be available as well and (assuming they work reliably) may facilitate a number of hands-free functions
- Presumably (hopefully?) ongoing OTA updates will continue to improve the interface and make it more efficient

Cons:
- I would still prefer to have tactile buttons for at least the primary climate functions (like they did for audio)
- Primary driving gauges still look oddly angular and unintuitive. Why not at least offer a digital facsimile of traditional BMW red gauges (circular, clockwise, minimalist)?
- I'm guessing that large virtual buttons were chosen to make it easier to read and "click", but this comes at the expense of screen real estate. Even on this girthy screen, having to swipe horizontally to change the passenger climate control settings would be annoying and short-sighted. Hopefully they find a more intuitive layout
- The rectangular form factor of the mondo screen(s) may suit the futuristic iX just fine, but I agree it will look odd in M cars. I hope they're considering alternative hardware enclosures, but I'm skeptical...

[Denver BMW]

Originally Posted by NightWriter

Putting aside the fact that this presenter is a little dorky and was clearly learning his way through the system in real-time (i.e. rather than truly guiding someone on its merits), I'm a little ambivalent here...

Pros:
- The increasing number of capabilities/features and customizations in a modern BMW require a software solution; we can't button our way out of this (lest we end up with a Boeing dashboard)
- Overall, the interface looks clean/sharp, well-organized, and quick to respond
- Climate control is "docked" and always available
- Apparently there are some hardware button shortcuts (e.g. the seat comfort), so maybe that's an approach we'll see more of that helps bridge this UX challenge
- Although not mentioned in this video, bear in mind that audio inputs will be available as well and (assuming they work reliably) may facilitate a number of hands-free functions
- Presumably (hopefully?) ongoing OTA updates will continue to improve the interface and make it more efficient

Cons:
- I would still prefer to have tactile buttons for the most common functions (like climate control). Is there even a volume knob anymore? I may have missed it
- Primary driving gauges still look oddly angular and unintuitive. Why not at least offer a digital facsimile of traditional BMW red gauges (circular, clockwise, minimalist)?
- I'm guessing that large virtual buttons were chosen to make it easier to read and "click", but this comes at the expense of screen real estate. Even on this girthy screen, having to swipe horizontally to change the passenger climate control settings would be annoying and short-sighted. Hopefully they find a more intuitive layout
- The rectangular form factor of the mondo screen(s) may suit the futuristic iX just fine, but I agree it will look odd in M cars. I hope they're considering alternative hardware enclosures, but I'm skeptical...

Thanks for the compliments on being dorky

[NightWriter]

Originally Posted by Denver BMW

Thanks for the compliments on being dorky

Hey man, I'm a software engineer. I use the term in the most endearing way possible.

[BMW41049]

Originally Posted by Denver BMW

Not sure if this is in the right place but i got a chance to see a pre-production version of the new BMW iDrive 8 system that is coming for all of the BMW lineup.

Enjoy

I like the engine sound my X6 M50i makes when I start it up.

[premier3is]

An absolutely horrible look. My sentiment stands, it's ugly… keep this for the electric cars why would you add this to all the lineups? Dumb move BMW

[Quadruple VANOS]

Originally Posted by Kuato2084

Personally having buttons is an absolute must. I love having HUD on/off programmed to button 1, iDrive on/off programmed to button 2, and Sport Displays programmed to button 3, with music, stereo EQ, map, psi levels, and other drive settings programmed to the remaining buttons. Getting what you need with ONE PUSH of a button is imperative for me when operating a vehicle. Also, having to keep the screen on just to manage the air isn't ideal since I usually drive with the screen off, but at least "Climate Menu" is always available at the bottom portion of the screen. And thankfully the E brake is button accessible. No buttons or dial for headlights/taillights isn't that big of a deal since it's usually a one-time thing depending on time of day. Overall this doesn't feel like an upgrade at all, rather a downgrade and a hindrance to driving safely. Why can't BMW do this new setup with programmable buttons? Why remove instant accessibility?

I don't understand why BMW (seemingly) didn't reinvent the 1-8 presets in the electronic interface. Then again- I haven't used iDrive 8. Perhaps iD8 has an equivalent? Maybe the 'tiles' that seem to make up the 'home screen' essentially become the 1-8 presets? 🤷🏻*♂️

[chris719]

Originally Posted by ///Mthusiast

Oh god…. Is it me or is that panel embarrassingly laggy and choppy? Doesn't seem like a preproduction bug to me, just an artifact of sh!t tier hardware and poor RTOS development.

If you can't do touch a screen that's as smooth and responsive as Tesla's (or Rivians), just don't bother. Give me buttons instead…

Yes, whether you should go full touch or not is an open question, but the problem with BMW and all other conventional automakers is that they don't understand software and UI/UX well enough to make a GOOD one.

No one wants a user experience powered by an automotive SoC that is equivalent to a 10 year old smartphone CPU, runs QNX (poor/limited BSPs, needlessly old user-space software stack), and has a UI designed by Germans.

Is that a stereotype? Probably, but I notice that German devs and firms have made great contributions to embedded software, device drivers, and Linux... but almost every GUI I've encountered from a German company is horrific. Maybe it's more an automotive problem, since the Americans and Japanese don't seem to be faring any better.

I don't love Apple, but if they made a touch interface for a car (100% of their own design including hardware, not Carplay) you can be sure it would be smooth, stable, and reasonably intuitive.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by Quadruple VANOS

I don't understand why BMW (seemingly) didn't reinvent the 1-8 presets in the electronic interface. Then again- I haven't used iDrive 8. Perhaps iD8 has an equivalent? Maybe the 'tiles' that seem to make up the 'home screen' essentially become the 1-8 presets? 🤷🏻*♂️

The people making decisions probably just look at still images of the UI and never used it. Who cares about usability, people only find out after they've bought it .

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by chris719

Yes, whether you should go full touch or not is an open question, but the problem with BMW and all other conventional automakers is that they don't understand software and UI/UX well enough to make a GOOD one.

No one wants a user experience powered by an automotive SoC that is equivalent to a 10 year old smartphone CPU, runs QNX (poor/limited BSPs, needlessly old user-space software stack), and has a UI designed by Germans.

Is that a stereotype? Probably, but I notice that German devs and firms have made great contributions to embedded software, device drivers, and Linux... but almost every GUI I've encountered from a German company is horrific. Maybe it's more an automotive problem, since the Americans and Japanese don't seem to be faring any better.

I don't love Apple, but if they made a touch interface for a car (100% of their own design including hardware, not Carplay) you can be sure it would be smooth, stable, and reasonably intuitive.

Hopefully the auto industry follows Volvo's lead. They let Google design the software and hardware for their infotainment system. Has Google Maps built right in, clean and intuitive layout, and the best virtual assistant (Google Assistant) and still supports CarPlay as an option.

Volvo with Google Built In

[Wanderer73]

What an abomination! I love the current screen design and iDrive experience in my X7. Such an integral part of the driving experience, and BMW has managed to take such a departure that it feels like some aftermarket hardware/software box fastened to the dash.

[hans007]

this is absolutely terrible.

I guess i'm glad I bought a car with idrive 7 so I didn't have to deal with this, though this may be my last bmw for a while if this is the direction they are headed.


Is it not funny, how to get to have the luxury of tactile feel, a manual transmission and buttons and knobs these days in a RWD car you have to buy.... something like a GR86/brz. All anyone really wants is that with an inline 6 and nicer interior, can't any company build that?

[soheil]

Originally Posted by NightWriter

Putting aside the fact that this presenter is a little dorky and was clearly learning his way through the system in real-time (i.e. rather than truly guiding someone on its merits), I'm a little ambivalent here...

Pros:
- The increasing number of capabilities/features and customizations in a modern BMW require a software solution; we can't button our way out of this (lest we end up with a Boeing dashboard)
- Overall, the interface looks clean/sharp, well-organized, and quick to respond
- Climate control is "docked" and always available
- Common audio controls (volume, prev/next track) as well as hazard and defrost still have real buttons
- Apparently there are some hardware button shortcuts (e.g. the seat comfort), so maybe that's an approach we'll see more of that helps bridge this UX challenge
- Although not mentioned in this video, bear in mind that audio inputs will be available as well and (assuming they work reliably) may facilitate a number of hands-free functions
- Presumably (hopefully?) ongoing OTA updates will continue to improve the interface and make it more efficient

Cons:
- I would still prefer to have tactile buttons for at least the primary climate functions (like they did for audio)
- Primary driving gauges still look oddly angular and unintuitive. Why not at least offer a digital facsimile of traditional BMW red gauges (circular, clockwise, minimalist)?
- I'm guessing that large virtual buttons were chosen to make it easier to read and "click", but this comes at the expense of screen real estate. Even on this girthy screen, having to swipe horizontally to change the passenger climate control settings would be annoying and short-sighted. Hopefully they find a more intuitive layout
- The rectangular form factor of the mondo screen(s) may suit the futuristic iX just fine, but I agree it will look odd in M cars. I hope they're considering alternative hardware enclosures, but I'm skeptical...

I'm a software engineer and consider myself a "tech person" and I still hate this move towards touchscreens! It's a freaking car, just put some easy access buttons!

And the voice command/personal assistant? I hate that too even if it works 100% reliably! What will happen if your spouse or children or pets are asleep in the car and you can't talk?!!!

[KevinC]

iDrive 8:

Pros: It's cheaper to manufacture
Cons: Everything else

[Zodiac]

I agree with your comments above: it has absolutely no pros, does not change the UI/UX to be any better, makes no sense.

What do we get?
- Still crappy "1000 apps" menu that makes no sense, even icons look all the same, in my both G11 in 2+ years of ownership I never looked into that menu once, I don't feel and need to. Its a car, not a entertainment or work device.
- You can clearly see that the important things are still hidden behind some strange steps in the menus. Also my perspective is that from the day one, I am only using carplay and carplay apps, the apps and functionalities coming from BMW make no sense to me, like the crappy 'experience modes' or whatever its called (I forgot as I looked in that part of iDrive only on the 1st day I got the car).
- Cannibalization of features by putting physical switches onto the screen. I am not a fan, but when I saw on the video above that you need to do SO MANY actions just to get to the proper option (i.e. you need to click on climate and THEN YOU NEED TO SCROLL ...) it is plain stupid. Why invent and bring to market something that is not safe (as a driver, I should be focused on the road, not on finding the option to my make ass cool/hot)?
- And the most disgusting item on the list is how slow the menus are, you see the laggyness and jerkyness of the animations, if you want your interface to look pro and customer facing, just MAKE IT SMOOTH. I have no idea why BMW still does not get it and do it right.

[frankiebones]

Originally Posted by Kuato2084

Personally having buttons is an absolute must. I love having HUD on/off programmed to button 1, iDrive on/off programmed to button 2, and Sport Displays programmed to button 3, with music, stereo EQ, map, psi levels, and other drive settings programmed to the remaining buttons. Getting what you need with ONE PUSH of a button is imperative for me when operating a vehicle. Also, having to keep the screen on just to manage the air isn't ideal since I usually drive with the screen off, but at least "Climate Menu" is always available at the bottom portion of the screen. And thankfully the E brake is button accessible. No buttons or dial for headlights/taillights isn't that big of a deal since it's usually a one-time thing depending on time of day. Overall this doesn't feel like an upgrade at all, rather a downgrade and a hindrance to driving safely. Why can't BMW do this new setup with programmable buttons? Why remove instant accessibility?

Those 8 programmable buttons have set BMW's user interface apart for many years. My first Bmw I thought the buttons could only be used as memory preset for specific radio stations until these forums pointed out otherwise.

[ramparts]

Originally Posted by Ghozthunter

Next thing will be docking station for your iPads to use on your dash and take it with like like the old stereos so they wouldn't get stolen haha

You joke but

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/10/07...ions-more/amp/