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Comment by forgotmypw17 | Hacker News Reader

This "crammed" design allows for button-function coupling, which makes buttons stateless and predictable.

Yep, When you want FM you can press the FM button rather than press the mode switch an unknown number of times requiring you to watch the display. My car has a rotary selector for air con mode and I usually just turn it all the way to one side and move it the number of clicks I know are needed. That way no looking is required.

I don't think any technology has improved on the decades-old three-dial system for air control in a car.

You're not fan of thermostat controlled systems where you set a temperature you want and that's what it maintains?

We have a Subaru with manual settings (3 dials) and a Volvo with a thermostat. The Volvo was set the day we bought it and I don't know that we've messed with it since. The Subaru, on the other hand, is always being adjusted.

The Volvo one seems to be smart enough to know when hot or cold (dry) air is needed on the windshield. It's pretty great.

3 dials, with one being the temperature, one being the fan speed, and one more for the modes:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d8/99/f0/d899f00fe8ae8cb22e6e...

They're aware; they're saying that targeted temperature is a simpler control that obviates the need to try to manually tune the fan, used vents and degree of heat.

But the reasoning for choice of the first two isn't just about desired temperature.

Basically I think three dial is the right UI, but the temp one should be a thermostat, not output control (as I guess it generally is based on experience) - that doesn't obviate the need for (or utility of) the other two.

I was just trying to help the disconnect between those users. I think that makes sense. I also like the utility of applying air to the different vents, especially in the winter as I live in a cold area and either defrost faster, warm my feet faster or warm my hands faster.

But fan speed is different than temperature?

I believe the Volvo system ties fan speed to the difference desired and actual temperature / humidity.

Yep - that's essentially what our Subaru has and I'm always messing with it as I drive.

IMHO, the Volvo system is superior. That car also cost about twice as much so maybe it's not fair to compare the two.

Personally, I much prefer the manual ones, where I can trivially tweak the settings without having to think about it or look away from the road. But that's in part because I usually have the windows down, so constant adjustment is needed to compensate for speed, outside temp, wind speed/direction, etc. - at this point, changing it is second nature. With a touchscreen, even if I could get used to the lack of tactile feedback, it's impossible to know if the right screen is up without looking away from the road (the same issue arises with radio settings).

I've experience with many of the thermostatat systems, and none of them seem to know what I want.

I don’t know about anyone else but the move to touch screens has been awful. I don’t need 2 menu layers to adjust the air temp or seat heater. All I really want is apple carplay.

+1000

It's one thing to have a touch screen to control your phone - where your attention is the phone.

It's another to have a touch screen to control the accessories of your car - where your attention is driving.

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