New touch displays

[roadshow]

I'm in no way an experienced auto guy, however I am heavily into tech. My advice to you guys? Avoid buying if it has one of those new touchscreen panels everyone is putting in vehicles now if you can. I'll list a few reasons why.

• They always come with bugs
• Software updates more often than not introduce as many bugs as they fix
• Automakers are not mobile tech companies and this isn't their specialty.
• Beside the bugs you're already going to have, touchscreen devices don't generally work optimally after 2 years on average and support usually gets dropped by that time too.
• They don't play well with climate

My advice is to stay with the good old manual consoles and digital displays. In the end you'll be far better off buying a smartphone mount and just using your phone.

 

[scubasteege]

Well I like my 5.0 UConnect. Sure it can be buggy at times connecting to my iPhone but its usually no big deal. Plus you can go through and control truck setting like what happens when you lock the truck or when lights turn on etc. I would get one in my next truck too. When spending 40,000 on a truck I want nice things in it. Thats just my opinion though.

 

[MyOhFive]

Good advice. Love my 8.4" Will have one in my next truck too

 

[SPDKLZ]

The world of cars is going to touch everything. If you are afraid of these and want to avoid them now, I'd hate to see where you are in 3-5 years when pretty much everything is touch screen.

Have not had any issues in my wife's Cadillac SRX with her touch screen and have had it for over three years.

Technology is part of life...either you learn to go with it or live the hermit life.

 

[7777xm]

I personally think that the technology has come quite a long ways over the past 10 years. I'll be in there is the reason why all these manufacturers are putting this stuff displays in everything. Even my coffee maker is a touch display lol

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[robbob]

My 2011 VW Golf with 120,000 miles has a touch screen, worked the day I bought it, still works perfect today.

 

[Buddy]

I agree about the way things are going. Soon all cars will have touch screens. Even the little Dodge Dart has one. I absolutely love the one in my Ram, anyone who gets in the truck is impressed with it too. Just like the small screen in between the speedo and the tach, this will all become standard in vehicles to come. It's just the part of progress.

 

[jsteinm1]

They always come with bugs
Software updates more often than not introduce as many bugs as they fix
What software doesn't? More features = more bug potential. If a simple bug bothers someone that much, I agree they should stick with low tech. I haven't found too many bugs with my 8.4AN.

Automakers are not mobile tech companies and this isn't their specialty.
No, but often they outsource this tech.

Beside the bugs you're already going to have, touchscreen devices don't generally work optimally after 2 years on average and support usually gets dropped by that time too.
They don't play well with climate
Citation needed.

My advice is to stay with the good old manual consoles and digital displays. In the end you'll be far better off buying a smartphone mount and just using your phone
Many local law enforcements would disagree with this, mount or no mount.

 

[Birddog]

My wife has a touch display but its a little sensitive at times.

 

[lonewolf2873]

My wife has a touch display but its a little sensitive at times.

And if that's your wife in your sig, I'd cope with the sensitive nature. No offense intended.

 

[Echo42987]

I'm really confused by this post in general....He knows the year is 2015 right?

 

[troutspinner]

I'm really confused by this post in general....He knows the year is 2015 right?

15! Aww ****, I lost a year somewhere.

 

[Z77Z77Z]

Funny it's not like the knobs ever broke off the old radios and you had to use a pair of vise grips just to be able to tune in a staticy radio station that just plays the same music over and over.

 

[SomeGuyInTexas]

I agree with the sentiment that we're pretty much in the age of screens and digital displays for everything, BUT the OP does have a point in that the more complex a system is the greater the opportunity there is for failure. I have been in the electrical engineering world for 25 years, and will be the first to say that electronics will fail, and are designed to last as long as the general warranty period is for that product. For example, if a computer has a typical support warranty of 4 years, the design and components used will be set to meet quality goals for typically 5 years. Electrical components all have a derating life that is plotted to know how good they have to be to last during the warrantied life. The scariest thing to me with automotive environmentals is temperature - the heat here in Texas will definitely eat up electronic component life faster than a more moderate part of the country.

Should that keep you from getting a modern vehicle? I don't think so, but at the same time we need to understand that a car made today will not likely last (fully functional) as one made 20 years ago with the same level of mechanical maintenance.

Sent via Tapatalk

 

[roadshow]

I agree with the sentiment that we're pretty much in the age of screens and digital displays for everything, BUT the OP does have a point in that the more complex a system is the greater the opportunity there is for failure. I have been in the electrical engineering world for 25 years, and will be the first to say that electronics will fail, and are designed to last as long as the general warranty period is for that product. For example, if a computer has a typical support warranty of 4 years, the design and components used will be set to meet quality goals for typically 5 years. Electrical components all have a derating life that is plotted to know how good they have to be to last during the warrantied life. The scariest thing to me with automotive environmentals is temperature - the heat here in Texas will definitely eat up electronic component life faster than a more moderate part of the country.

Should that keep you from getting a modern vehicle? I don't think so, but at the same time we need to understand that a car made today will not likely last (fully functional) as one made 20 years ago with the same level of mechanical maintenance.

Sent via Tapatalk

Very good point. I appreciate the feedback from the uconnect supporters here who like it but I'm very experienced with touchscreen device tech and will have to respectfully but strongly disagree about their lifespan and reliability.

simple dash panels will typically last a decade or more with a much rarer rate of failure, much like older style household appliances would go for 10 to 20 years without ever seeing a repair unlike today's computer chip using appliances.

Once these units go, replacement costs are also more expensive. Which is why I much prefer mounting my own independent phone. I carry my smartphone everywhere I go and it's set up exactly how I want it. I have full control over the navigation, voice control, and sound apps installed on it. There's no redundancy of owning 2 touchscreen devices.

I agree with those of you who've pointed out that very soon I'll have the choice taken away from me. This is probably the last truck I'll ever own where I've had the opportunity to avoid it. I will give credit where it's due though, the Uconnect software is done better than what a lot of other carmakers have gone with for their infotainment systems.

 

[woojyee]

Well, I bought a Kenwood Execlon x869 in 2000 for my Ford F-250 then moved that deck and the 10-disc CD changer to my 02 Silverado when I bought it. It is 2015 and that stereo still works excellent today which I have to say I am surprised because it has a motorized face. The changer still works too...lol

I have to admit, I would have preferred to be able to buy a nice HU instead of trying to build a system around the factory uConnect system, haven't had any issues with it as of yet but I only have had the truck for 2-months

 

[BradKnob]

Great great grandpaw.... That you?

 

[preachp]

HI woojyee,

I have a 2013 RAM that had the cheap unit in it and I swapped it out for a Kenwood DNX570HD and I really like that head unit. The only glitch in that I cannot dim the screen. But I use a dark background so it is not too bad at night. Used a Metra adapter cable and had no issues with it.

have a great day,

preachp

 

[roadshow]

I'm really confused by this post in general....He knows the year is 2015 right?

Sure do!

 

[SomeGuyInTexas]

Pretty funny this post showed up in EETimes today...
Best Car Ever Made: My Car, the Mother... Board | EE Times