Instrument Panels Ain't What They Used to Be (Another Rant from a Curmudgeon)

[Sweetums]

Yes! The mechanical feel is missing.

The LCD Uconnect infotainment panel
may be a touchscreen
but it is numb.
There is no tactile keyboard feedback,
no "keys" or buttons to press or click.
Very helpful for keeping eyes on the road.
At least the buttons on the steering wheel
provide some feedback.

A full keyboard is the reason I prefer my netbook
to my iPhone.
My Dad was disappointed when I took typing in high school
and learned to touch type.
The digital age was still over the horizon in 1965.
The ability to touch type proved to be my most beneficial skill.
He felt a little better when I told him
that's where the girls are.

Don't get me wrong.
The bright, colorful LCD display
is welcome for these old eyes.
But we can have it both ways.

For example, instead of a $10,000 Rolex GMT,
download the LCD Butler GMT Chronograph app
for your smartphone, for free.
And you don't have to keep it wound.
It even has an audible tick that can be felt in your hand.
Or you could buy a real Butler GMT for $500.

Theoretically, we could have LCD instrument panels
that replicate the analog panels of the past.
All the important systems with dial faces
and all the needles reassuringly pointing up.

Take it easy and enjoy the drive.

Not that I disagree, but this post is a crime against formatting.

Sponsored

 

[Figmo]

Not that I disagree, but this post is a crime against formatting.

I thought it was a Haiku

 

[Billkowski]

I hear the OP, but I think the dash, with the overall mix of analog/actual dials and digital was one of the things Jeep did really well in the JL/JT...at least compared to other modern dashes.

Sponsored