What an Embarrassment & Disappointment!
- Thread starter CosmosBlack
- Start date
BMW needs to hire outside consultants for everything BMW. As I said earlyer, if a car comes out and thousands of people hate it, than thousands wont buy it. If a consultant was there that could tell them that that desing is no good and to do it again, then things would be more appealing to a wider audience.
I spent 10 min with that Idirve and I could tell it was an instant falure, how come after several years of desinging it they couldent figure that out on their own, were they too ashamed to admit that they failed?
BMW MUST STOP MAIKING CUSTOMERS THE TESTING GROUNDS!!
I spent 10 min with that Idirve and I could tell it was an instant falure, how come after several years of desinging it they couldent figure that out on their own, were they too ashamed to admit that they failed?
BMW MUST STOP MAIKING CUSTOMERS THE TESTING GROUNDS!!
Bangle was quoted as saying that "Humans need time to adapt to change", refering to the styling of the 5 series. That may be true since styling is so subjective. But they have taken this attitude into User Interface usability - the IDrive - and they are SO clueless.
You are right - outside consultants should evaluate and critique things like IDrive - and that consultant is Joe Average consumer! Apple did this extensively in 1983 - 1984 when they were designing the Macintosh user interface. They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars bringing in people off the street into their User Interface Lab - children, engineers, housewives, artists, students, business people of all types. It was extremely successful for Apple and made the Mac an instant success. (I'm not interested in starting a Mac vs. PC debate right now.) BMW needs to learn techniques from Apple when it comes to evaluating good user inteface technology.
You are right - outside consultants should evaluate and critique things like IDrive - and that consultant is Joe Average consumer! Apple did this extensively in 1983 - 1984 when they were designing the Macintosh user interface. They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars bringing in people off the street into their User Interface Lab - children, engineers, housewives, artists, students, business people of all types. It was extremely successful for Apple and made the Mac an instant success. (I'm not interested in starting a Mac vs. PC debate right now.) BMW needs to learn techniques from Apple when it comes to evaluating good user inteface technology.
flashinthepan,
Thank you for agreeing and thinking alike.![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
I too used to be an obstinate and bigoted BMW loyalist, I would jump to BMW's defense whenever a topic of comparison arises. Everything about BMW is great, my wife can't stand me. Now she keeps reminding me that I bought myself a piece of junk!
But one needs to know when one's being short-changed! I didn't pay chicken-feed for a Hyundai or Kia. If I did, I would shutup and suck it up. I paid lots of money for a BMW coz' I want the best. If they do not win back my confidence soon, I'm switching machines, reluctantly.
Thank you for agreeing and thinking alike.
I too used to be an obstinate and bigoted BMW loyalist, I would jump to BMW's defense whenever a topic of comparison arises. Everything about BMW is great, my wife can't stand me. Now she keeps reminding me that I bought myself a piece of junk!
But one needs to know when one's being short-changed! I didn't pay chicken-feed for a Hyundai or Kia. If I did, I would shutup and suck it up. I paid lots of money for a BMW coz' I want the best. If they do not win back my confidence soon, I'm switching machines, reluctantly.
If it helps prove the point, our 2001 MB S500 was messsed up a few weeks ago. It has around 45,000 miles and one morning my mom started the car and the display below the speedometer said "Air-Matic Suspension Failure: Stop Car" or something like that. I looked at the car and the car looked like it was a low-rider...the suspension was dropped completely. We had to have it towed in to the dealership...a few days later we got the car back and it was repaired under warranty, but that is a major problem that shouldn't happen.
Either way, it's not the technology that has the problems. The way I feel is that it's the technology from German cars that have the problems. I would take a German car over a Japanese car usually pretty easily (i.e. a S500/745 over a Lex LS430), but Japanese cars don't really have these problems with their electronics and overall technology. Of course, at the same time, Japanese cars are as bland as....something that's really bland.
Either way, it's not the technology that has the problems. The way I feel is that it's the technology from German cars that have the problems. I would take a German car over a Japanese car usually pretty easily (i.e. a S500/745 over a Lex LS430), but Japanese cars don't really have these problems with their electronics and overall technology. Of course, at the same time, Japanese cars are as bland as....something that's really bland.
![[mad]](/images/smilies/mad.png "Mad [mad]")
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Not only are they pretty easy to use, but you don't even need them!Hey damn it, don't send this link to BMW, god forbid they listen and change the cars. I would be out of a job if all the new BMW's worked perfectly all the time, what are you people trying to do to me!!!! ![[;)]](/images/smilies/wink.png "Wink [;)]")
J/K, I don't know what to say about all these electronics, except for I have no problem with them. I'm one of those people who know that all things cannot work perfectly all the time, and it's doesn't bother me too much. I realize that people buy these cars expecting perfection, and it doesn't always happen. All cars have problems, ones with more electronics have a higher possibility of failure, it's just the way it goes. The thing you have to look at is does the car leave you stranded? If your new 7 dies, you have GPS assist, so your not totally screwed. All the other models really don't die any more than any other brand. Please don't hate me for my opinion, it's just how I truly feel.
J/K, I don't know what to say about all these electronics, except for I have no problem with them. I'm one of those people who know that all things cannot work perfectly all the time, and it's doesn't bother me too much. I realize that people buy these cars expecting perfection, and it doesn't always happen. All cars have problems, ones with more electronics have a higher possibility of failure, it's just the way it goes. The thing you have to look at is does the car leave you stranded? If your new 7 dies, you have GPS assist, so your not totally screwed. All the other models really don't die any more than any other brand. Please don't hate me for my opinion, it's just how I truly feel.
ariper79 said:
Hey damn it, don't send this link to BMW, god forbid they listen and change the cars. I would be out of a job if all the new BMW's worked perfectly all the time, what are you people trying to do to me!!!! J/K, I don't know what to say about all these electronics, except for I have no problem with them. I'm one of those people who know that all things cannot work perfectly all the time, and it's doesn't bother me too much. I realize that people buy these cars expecting perfection, and it doesn't always happen. All cars have problems, ones with more electronics have a higher possibility of failure, it's just the way it goes. The thing you have to look at is does the car leave you stranded? If your new 7 dies, you have GPS assist, so your not totally screwed. All the other models really don't die any more than any other brand. Please don't hate me for my opinion, it's just how I truly feel.
J/K, I don't know what to say about all these electronics, except for I have no problem with them. I'm one of those people who know that all things cannot work perfectly all the time, and it's doesn't bother me too much. I realize that people buy these cars expecting perfection, and it doesn't always happen. All cars have problems, ones with more electronics have a higher possibility of failure, it's just the way it goes. The thing you have to look at is does the car leave you stranded? If your new 7 dies, you have GPS assist, so your not totally screwed. All the other models really don't die any more than any other brand. Please don't hate me for my opinion, it's just how I truly feel.
BMW needs to suck it up and set aside that ego of theirs and hand the electronics contracts over to the Japanese. All the German manufacturers need to do that. Shoot, this includes the climate control systems. Can you imagine? German driving response and style (excluding Bangle) with Japanese reliability and ease of use in their interiors.