Modernization is impacting virtually every product that is available to consumers, and one example of this trend is the addition of touch screens in cars. Touch screens are replacing the traditional button based control panels in vehicles that allow users to modulate the thermostat as well as interface with a wide range of other features that cars have to offer. In spite of the fact that this is the case, many consumers are not happy with this change, and it’s not just a hesitance to adopt new technology that is behind this dissatisfaction.
According to a new study conducted by a Swedish car magazine by the name of Vi Bilagare, touch screens are actually harder to use than regular buttons with all things having been considered and taken into account. Participants in this study were asked to perform four different tasks with touch screens and then again with buttons, namely turning on seat heaters and adjusting the temperature, tuning the radio to a particular station, restarting the trip computer and lowering the illumination of instrument lights. They had to do all of this while traveling at a modest 110 kilometers per hour.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that each task took an average of thirty seconds to perform with touch based controls, and only ten seconds with simple buttons and switches. Some vehicles with touch based controls such as the MG Marvel R required around 45 seconds to perform these basic tasks, and that can be quite dangerous when one is driving at a cruising speed.
Touch controls seem like little more than a marketing gimmick, and consumers should be given what is best for them rather than what looks fancy. While there might still be some benefit to touch based controls, most companies that incorporated into their products did away with them shortly after such as in the case of Apple removing the touch bar from its latest Macbook. Old school and analogue interfaces still have a lot of value in them, and this study proves that.
Read next: 45% of Consumers Downsized Their Lifestyles Due to Inflation
According to a new study conducted by a Swedish car magazine by the name of Vi Bilagare, touch screens are actually harder to use than regular buttons with all things having been considered and taken into account. Participants in this study were asked to perform four different tasks with touch screens and then again with buttons, namely turning on seat heaters and adjusting the temperature, tuning the radio to a particular station, restarting the trip computer and lowering the illumination of instrument lights. They had to do all of this while traveling at a modest 110 kilometers per hour.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that each task took an average of thirty seconds to perform with touch based controls, and only ten seconds with simple buttons and switches. Some vehicles with touch based controls such as the MG Marvel R required around 45 seconds to perform these basic tasks, and that can be quite dangerous when one is driving at a cruising speed.
Touch controls seem like little more than a marketing gimmick, and consumers should be given what is best for them rather than what looks fancy. While there might still be some benefit to touch based controls, most companies that incorporated into their products did away with them shortly after such as in the case of Apple removing the touch bar from its latest Macbook. Old school and analogue interfaces still have a lot of value in them, and this study proves that.
Read next: 45% of Consumers Downsized Their Lifestyles Due to Inflation
