Just picked up my new 550

Drives fantastic. I resisted getting a bmw for 20 years, but I must admit
it drives great. However, the 'iDRIVE" is anything but intuitive. not
nearly as easy to use as my wife's lexus radio and navigation system.

How many freaking years is it going to take BMW to get their collective
heads out of their collective asses on this I-Drive thing ****! I have yet
to hear a person say, I really like the I-Drive, all cars will catch up to
BMW on this some day! Hell, everyone hates it, the car magazines regularly
TRASH it!

If BMW wants to put all their eggs in the Chris Bangle school of exterior
design and the original I-Drive concept barring all evidence and facts to
the contrary, I'd have to say George Bush must be at the helm!

And, no, I didn't go all that way just to bash Bush, it just seemed obvious
when I got to that point!

Chris

"ag" > wrote in message
. net...
> Drives fantastic. I resisted getting a bmw for 20 years, but I must
> admit it drives great. However, the 'iDRIVE" is anything but intuitive.
> not nearly as easy to use as my wife's lexus radio and navigation system.
>

> I have yet to hear a person say, I really like the I-Drive, all cars will
> catch up to BMW on this some day! Hell, everyone hates it, the car
> magazines regularly
> TRASH it!

I read an article where the author talked up the virtues of i-Drive and
really loves it. Thought that in just a short time anyone can grow to
like it. He was really sincere.
The magazine?
...

Quarterly BMW Owners magazine published by BMW.

Mr car? ... E91 3 series touring, WITHOUT i-Drive Sat Nav option

Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
> If BMW wants to put all their eggs in the Chris Bangle school of exterior
> design

New Motor Trend (Car of the Year) shows 6 new cars by 6 different
manufacturers - from MB to Toyota - with Bangle inspired design. It
seems his design cues are catching on.

As far as iDrive is concerned, I like it. It took me a couple of weeks
to get the hang of it but once it's learned, it becomes second nature -
SMG II paddles had a learning curve too but I don't hear anyone
complaining. If my Grandmother were the primary user of my car, I'd
have gotten a Lexus. Don't allow elementary to be confused with
intuitive.

- phlood -

Well there we have it a true believer in the I-Drive. BMW may come looking
you up to try to figure out what's wrong with everyone else! Intuative is
intuative! I would add that anything that takes your view (attention) away
from the road / trafic, is inherintly bad so, the less time and attention
required the better. Agreed?

Popular design is not the same as good design my friend. Look around, it's a
relatively small % of people who do not just go for the newest / latest. The
true test of great design is time and although only time will tell for sure,
I feel confident from being "into it" that this period of BMW design will go
down as a low point not a high point. I'll be first to admit that I could be
wrong. But I don't think so.

Chris

"phlood" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
>> If BMW wants to put all their eggs in the Chris Bangle school of exterior
>> design
>
> New Motor Trend (Car of the Year) shows 6 new cars by 6 different
> manufacturers - from MB to Toyota - with Bangle inspired design. It
> seems his design cues are catching on.
>
> As far as iDrive is concerned, I like it. It took me a couple of weeks
> to get the hang of it but once it's learned, it becomes second nature -
> SMG II paddles had a learning curve too but I don't hear anyone
> complaining. If my Grandmother were the primary user of my car, I'd
> have gotten a Lexus. Don't allow elementary to be confused with
> intuitive.
>
> - phlood -
>

Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
> I would add that anything that takes your view (attention) away
> from the road / trafic, is inherintly bad so, the less time and attention
> required the better. Agreed?

I agree wholeheartedly! I tend to view this a bit differently, though,
I think. After iDrive has been learned it is one control mechanism
rather than many buttons or knobs. Your eyes go two places, from road
to lcd, while using iDrive (with hand on the iDrive controller) rather
than 3 places with conventional controls - looking at/for buttons &
knobs, then the lcd, then the road. Much the same as a computer's
mouse, you are operating it without having to look for/at it. Make
sense?

> Popular design is not the same as good design my friend. Look around, it's a
> relatively small % of people who do not just go for the newest / latest. The
> true test of great design is time and although only time will tell for sure,

Very true. I guess ones preference is just that, preference. However,
as they say, imitation is the purest form of flattery. I find it hard
to fathom that the manufacturers (MB, Audi, etc.) of these new vehicles
with Bangle-isms don't see something good in the design.

You said it best though; only time will tell for sure...& maybe sales
figures.

- phlood -

Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
> I would add that anything that takes your view (attention) away
> from the road / trafic, is inherintly bad so, the less time and attention
> required the better. Agreed?

I agree wholeheartedly! I tend to view this a bit differently, though,
I think. iDrive is one control mechanism rather than many buttons or
knobs. Your eyes go two places, from road to lcd, while using iDrive
(with hand on the iDrive controller) rather than 3 places with
conventional controls - looking at/for buttons & knobs, then the lcd,
then the road. Much the same as a computer's mouse, you are operating
it without having to look for/at it. Make sense?

> Popular design is not the same as good design my friend. Look around, it's a
> relatively small % of people who do not just go for the newest / latest. The
> true test of great design is time and although only time will tell for sure,

Very true. I guess ones preference is just that, preference. However,
as they say, imitation is the purest form of flattery. I find it hard
to believe that manufacturers like MB & Audi would be introducing new
models with Bangle-isms if they didn't see some redeeming quality in
the design.

You said it best though; only time will tell...& maybe sales figures.

- phlood -

Sounds like the I-Drive works as intended for you. Maybe the bigest problem
is the amount of time needed to become familiar enough to it where it's less
of a distraction than conventional controls. Maybe you just catch on
quicker.

As for Audi, they've shown very little styling variation. Granted their one
main design is basically good, when almost all of your cars are nearly
indistinguishable from each other to the casual observer, that's not
impressive. Aside from the TT, VW and Audi cars are a sadbunch of scaled up
and scaled down copies of each other and heaven forbid they not have the
corporate front end treatment! At least that used to be a good front end
now, it's abnoxious!

The Japanese manufacturers have made their fortunes on good imitations (with
some rare truely original designs) not great design. Reminds me of a story
about McDonalds (spending huge amounts to study demagraphics prior to
building each facility) and Burger King (build right there next to
McDonalds).

Later,
Chris

"phlood" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
>> I would add that anything that takes your view (attention) away
>> from the road / trafic, is inherintly bad so, the less time and attention
>> required the better. Agreed?
>
> I agree wholeheartedly! I tend to view this a bit differently, though,
> I think. iDrive is one control mechanism rather than many buttons or
> knobs. Your eyes go two places, from road to lcd, while using iDrive
> (with hand on the iDrive controller) rather than 3 places with
> conventional controls - looking at/for buttons & knobs, then the lcd,
> then the road. Much the same as a computer's mouse, you are operating
> it without having to look for/at it. Make sense?
>
>> Popular design is not the same as good design my friend. Look around,
>> it's a
>> relatively small % of people who do not just go for the newest / latest.
>> The
>> true test of great design is time and although only time will tell for
>> sure,
>
> Very true. I guess ones preference is just that, preference. However,
> as they say, imitation is the purest form of flattery. I find it hard
> to believe that manufacturers like MB & Audi would be introducing new
> models with Bangle-isms if they didn't see some redeeming quality in
> the design.
>
> You said it best though; only time will tell...& maybe sales figures.
>
> - phlood -
>

My complaint about i-Drive would be that my wife who rarely drives my
car would never be with it long enough to get used to it.
It means she cannot just get in drive and have control over it. It's
hard enough for the occasional driver to learn simple things like how
the two stage indicator lever on the E90/E91 works, where all the
levers and swicthes are, without throwing a small computer at her to
operate too.

That, I think, is exactly the point. Most people agree that a person should
be able to get in and drive any car and at least be able to operate the
basic necessities. With the I-Drive, it sounds like a new driver might have
to pull over to the side of the road to try to get the defroster to operate
or some such thing.

Cheers
Chris

"AGH!" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> My complaint about i-Drive would be that my wife who rarely drives my
> car would never be with it long enough to get used to it.
> It means she cannot just get in drive and have control over it. It's
> hard enough for the occasional driver to learn simple things like how
> the two stage indicator lever on the E90/E91 works, where all the
> levers and swicthes are, without throwing a small computer at her to
> operate too.
>