For years, BMW has heard complaints from automotive editors and enthusiasts about its iDrive control system, the interface for accessing infotainment and car functions in BMW models. But with the introduction of the new 3-Series and 7-Series, iDrive gets a radical transformation.
The redesigned iDrive menu (top) and the controller knob from the new 3-Series (bottom)
We don't have too much to go on, mostly a picture of the new main screen for iDrive, in German, no less, and some details from the news releases. The controller for iDrive remains the same, a big knob with joystick functionality. BMW adds to that hardware a set of dedicated buttons for immediate access to the radio, CD, navigation, and phone menus.
Although some would disagree, we never thought iDrive's problems stemmed from the controller, but from the software interface. The COMAND system in Mercedes-Benz vehicles uses a similar controller, but hasn't elicited the same level of complaint as iDrive because its software interface makes it much easier to use.
From the picture released by BMW, the new main interface for iDrive shows a stack of menus that you can scroll through and select. The previous interface used four quadrants, which limits the amount of new function areas BMW could add without shoehorning newer functions in odd places. BMW points out that "letters of the alphabet and numerals are arranged in circular form for more intuitive input of addresses and phone numbers". We have mixed feeling about this last point, as the circular menus for letter input on Audis are a little tedious to use.
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InterDe
16/07/2008 12:33 AM
The devil is in the details, particularly in interaction design. I evaluated a pre-ship version of the software and can tell you the animated rotary menus are damnably awkward and tedious. This is not merely aesthetics or convenience but safety, because it translates into driver inattention to the road. BMW is still trying to rescue a mechanical device (the iDrive rotary controller) that is fundamentally flawed as an interaction idiom. But BMW put millions into development and have the patents to show for it, so their IxD people have no choice but to use it. Eventually BMW will have to realize it is broken and abandon it for better technology.
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