Why even have a "Start" button??!?

My Nissan Leaf Forum

Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
i work with people to pair their cellphones to the new cars they have purchased.

you really expect people to understand this shifter knob system that really only makes sense to you?

try to explain the term "context dependent" when people want to know why the "menu" button does different things at different times
 
Here is an alternative idea based on current trends.

To start your car you must do ONE of the following:
  • Press "talk" on your cel phone
  • Open text app, twitter app, or facebook app on your cel phone
  • Move rearview mirror so you can see yourself (mainly applies to women)
  • Insert Starbucks Latte into cupholder
 
SierraQ said:
Here is an alternative idea based on current trends.

To start your car you must do ONE of the following:
  • Press "talk" on your cel phone
  • Open text app, twitter app, or facebook app on your cel phone
  • Move rearview mirror so you can see yourself (mainly applies to women)
  • Insert Starbucks Latte into cupholder
  • You do the Hokey-Pokey
  • You turn yourself around
...
 
And that is intuitive and expected by just about anyone who drives a car, as it should be... The other would not be to anyone who was not specifically versed in it in advance.

HoustonFlier said:
IMHO that what it feels like now. FoB in hand (or safely located next to your jewels ;) ), push Start, Step on brake, move puck right, move puck in to D or R.
 
SierraQ said:
To start your car you must do ONE of the following:
  • Press "talk" on your cel phone
  • Open text app, twitter app, or facebook app on your cel phone
  • Move rearview mirror so you can see yourself (mainly applies to women)
  • Insert Starbucks Latte into cupholder
Oh dear! Now I know I'm a Luddite.
  • No "talk" button on my cell phone
  • My phone doesn't do apps
  • I'm not a woman, and I don't want to see myself
  • I hate the taste of coffee
I guess there is a silver lining, though -- I'd never exceed the mileage quota on my leased car if it worked like that.

Ray
 
planet4ever said:
SierraQ said:
To start your car you must do ONE of the following:
  • Press "talk" on your cel phone
  • Open text app, twitter app, or facebook app on your cel phone
  • Move rearview mirror so you can see yourself (mainly applies to women)
  • Insert Starbucks Latte into cupholder
Oh dear! Now I know I'm a Luddite.
  • No "talk" button on my cell phone
  • My phone doesn't do apps
  • I'm not a woman, and I don't want to see myself
  • I hate the taste of coffee
I guess there is a silver lining, though -- I'd never exceed the mileage quota on my leased car if it worked like that.

Ray


Talk buttons are pretty standard. It is usually in the shape of a green phone on the stupid phone variety. *Note: I say stupid phone as it is the opposite of smart phone, not due to the intelligence level of the user. Just wanted to clear this up as my sarcastic humor has a tendency to offend people on this forum.*
 
TomT said:
And that is intuitive and expected by just about anyone who drives a car, as it should be... The other would not be to anyone who was not specifically versed in it in advance.

HoustonFlier said:
IMHO that what it feels like now. FoB in hand (or safely located next to your jewels ;) ), push Start, Step on brake, move puck right, move puck in to D or R.

I drive a cars, and I did not feel it was that intuitive.

1. Key in pocket
2. Button to start (yes, I know, decades ago it was start button too, but not that old!)
3. Move shifter LEFT! Never used an automatic transmission car had to move LEFT. Usually DOWN. (granted Manuals you do)
4. Move shifter (after left), UP to go Reverse (most manuals its way to Right, then Up or Down)
5. To go Neutral, just a left move, NOTHING I know in cars does this.
6. To Park, push button in middle. Again, NOTHING I know in cars does this.

Here is the test:
If anyone who never sat in Leaf before, WITHOUT LOOKING, can correctly shift to different modes?
Even in manuals, one can figure out the gears and Reverse dry shifting a couple of times (not engage clutch).
 
HoustonFlier said:
Here is the test:
If anyone who never sat in Leaf before, WITHOUT LOOKING, can correctly shift to different modes?
Even in manuals, one can figure out the gears and Reverse dry shifting a couple of times (not engage clutch).
Dumb test. You have to look to know how to shift any car. Besides, most of the manuals I've owned recently have all had reverse in the LEFT-UP position. The Prius has used the exact same pattern for over ten years, and this is obviously the Japanese standard for electronic shifters. Might as well get used to it.
 
HoustonFlier said:
Why even have a "Start" button??!?
...
I have the key fob, get in car, move the Shift Puck to Drive, and off I go.
You need a start button because you need to do things other than drive & go.

This is a "solution" looking for a problem.

ps : there is a good reason there aren't too many Steve Jobs around.
 
davewill said:
The Prius has used the exact same pattern for over ten years, and this is obviously the Japanese standard for electronic shifters. Might as well get used to it.
Right. If I had been at Nissan and given the job of deciding what the shift pattern should be, my logic would have been that the most common path to EV ownership would be from the full hybrid that is most popular and has the best mileage. I believe that Nissan consciously copied the Prius shifter, making only the minimum changes necessary to avoid a patent fight.

Ray
 
HoustonFlier said:
TomT said:
And that is intuitive and expected by just about anyone who drives a car, as it should be... The other would not be to anyone who was not specifically versed in it in advance.

HoustonFlier said:
IMHO that what it feels like now. FoB in hand (or safely located next to your jewels ;) ), push Start, Step on brake, move puck right, move puck in to D or R.

I drive a cars, and I did not feel it was that intuitive.

1. Key in pocket
2. Button to start (yes, I know, decades ago it was start button too, but not that old!)
3. Move shifter LEFT! Never used an automatic transmission car had to move LEFT. Usually DOWN. (granted Manuals you do)
4. Move shifter (after left), UP to go Reverse (most manuals its way to Right, then Up or Down)
5. To go Neutral, just a left move, NOTHING I know in cars does this.
6. To Park, push button in middle. Again, NOTHING I know in cars does this.

Here is the test:
If anyone who never sat in Leaf before, WITHOUT LOOKING, can correctly shift to different modes?
Even in manuals, one can figure out the gears and Reverse dry shifting a couple of times (not engage clutch).


Yes, let's not change anything and make it all like other stupid cars, like the weak regen, and dumbed down steering. People that actually lead in design and innovate are fools, like Steve Jobs. The car drive system is decent and functional. All this focus on something that actually works well and little on the 10-year dated POS NAV and telematics that is an industry joke.
 
EVDRIVER said:
Yes, let's not change anything and make it all like other stupid cars, like the weak regen, and dumbed down steering. People that actually lead in design and innovate are fools, like Steve Jobs. The car drive system is decent and functional. All this focus on something that actually works well and little on the 10-year dated POS NAV and telematics that is an industry joke.

Irony and sarcasm?
 
If Steve Jobs had made an EV, it would cost twice as much as any other EV, it would be obsolete in a year, and it would not allow you to add any after-market accessories of any kind. Oh, and it would only go where IT thought you should go! And no one else would be allowed to make one!

EVDRIVER said:
People that actually lead in design and innovate are fools, like Steve Jobs.
 
I find it most interesting that not a soul in this thread has mentioned that the OP describes something Tesla has done in the Model S (maybe the Roadster, I have no idea).

I agree it's a good idea. The start button is mostly useless. As it is I rarely hit park in my Prius and rarely will in this, either. It's VERY nice being able to hit the brake and then just power right off. I guess in this sense, I'd still have to hit P to stop if I didn't have start/stop, but I do think that the start button itself serves little purpose.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1208_2012_tesla_model_s_test_and_range_verification/viewall.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For instance? There's no actual 'on' button. The Model S 'knows' you're ready to drive by recognizing that you've gotten in (door opens and closes, weight on the driver's seat), are ready to drive (seatbelt latched), and are taking action (tapping the brake pedal). That's it.
 
Well the Tesla is basically the EV Steve Jobs would have made, just without the "no one else should be allowed to make one" sort of stuff. Elon Musk seems quite eager to see others try to compete and make EVs commonplace.

TomT said:
If Steve Jobs had made an EV, it would cost twice as much as any other EV, it would be obsolete in a year, and it would not allow you to add any after-market accessories of any kind. Oh, and it would only go where IT thought you should go! And no one else would be allowed to make one!

EVDRIVER said:
People that actually lead in design and innovate are fools, like Steve Jobs.
 
TomT said:
If Steve Jobs had made an EV, it would cost twice as much as any other EV, it would be obsolete in a year, and it would not allow you to add any after-market accessories of any kind. Oh, and it would only go where IT thought you should go! And no one else would be allowed to make one!

Umm, my iPhone 3GS is now over 3 years old and is not obsolete by any measure. It has been upgraded from IOS 3 to IOS 4 and now IOS 5.1. Ask HTC customers how many operating system upgrades they release for their old models...
 
Apple brings out a new iPhone/iPad/iWhatever every year like clockwork with the express idea of obsoleting the older ones and driving people to buy the new one... Sorry, but that is planned obsolescence by any measure...

jkirkebo said:
Umm, my iPhone 3GS is now over 3 years old and is not obsolete by any measure. It has been upgraded from IOS 3 to IOS 4 and now IOS 5.1. Ask HTC customers how many operating system upgrades they release for their old models...
 
Back
Top