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[donjuanme@lemmy.world]

If dial gauges weren't what you chuckleheads grew up with (I'm 38 so I understand the nostalgia) you'd realize they aren't really all that well designed. There's no reason they go as high as they do, especially when they were "capped" at 85, and they display a terrible amount of information for the amount of space they take up.

I dislike many digital dashboards, not because they don't interface well or they don't look good, but because I can't customize them to my own liking. I want my average speed, instantaneous speed, average miles per gallon, instantaneous miles per gallon, range, engine temperature, music track, outside temperature, inside temperature, tire pressure, time, vehicle orientation, all at once. They're normally all available, but hidden in different menus and screens. Put it all out there, I'll learn where to look for the info I want. And let people who desire less info have the ability to set up their dashboard for that as well.

[shieldtoad@sh.itjust.works]

This one sparks joy.

[a_union_of_kobolds@lemmy.world]

I'm dying for good windshield HUDs

[marcos@lemmy.world]

Does it spark as much as a Star Trek high-tech panel?

If not, it's not futuristic enough.

[iamthetot@sh.itjust.works]

Got a hearty chuckle out of me.

[iamthetot@sh.itjust.works]

Marques Brownlee?

[rhaedas@fedia.io]

A dial gauge can impart certain information that other ways cannot. I can notice a sudden change in movement without looking directly down, or see certain patterns of movement that simple numbers won't. An old example of the loss of that was found in some classic luxury cars (my grandmother had a Cadillac that I noticed it in). The speedometer wasn't a dial, it was an analog bar that would go right to left as your speed increased. It was very hard to judge change of speed by this, much like it's hard to see from a few digital numbers that rapidly change. I've also noticed that even digital dial gauges can suffer from this if their refresh isn't fast enough to simulate an analog accurately.

Doesn't mean you can't get used to a display or find other ways to get the same input, but dials aren't just old nostalgia, they do have advantages. I would bet for some measurements an analog multimeter is preferred over a digital, and vise versa.

[st3ph3n@midwest.social]

I'm looking at you, Tesla.

[triflingtoad@sh.itjust.works]

[email protected]

[saltesc@lemmy.world]

Yeah, but the second one is much cheaper to make and appeals to people that think it costs more, so now we're stuck with this useless, tacky shit.

[slopppyengineer@lemmy.world]

Car manufacturers could've used the example of an aircraft. Their primary flight display shows speed nicely with current speed, good indication of changes in speed, settings like cruise control and max speed all in one clean display. I'd prefer that one. But no, it's not even an option of course.

[jaydee@lemmy.world]

Volkswagen has a pretty awesome one but it costs like 10k more for that level of trim.

[pennomi@lemmy.world]

The second one is also far more readable. If it’s read only and behind the wheel, it’s strictly better imo.

[scytale@lemm.ee]

And the Volvo EX30.

[sbv@sh.itjust.works]

I guess I'm in the minority: I prefer to see my speed as a number instead of a dial.

Yes, it does need to be in front of the driver.

[spankmonkey@lemmy.world]

Also, make the text bigger.

So many displays have tiny, hard to read text that could easily be twice as tall and wide without even impacting the blank space that separates them.

[spankmonkey@lemmy.world]

Dials and digital displays are like clocks, the position can relay a lot of additional contextual information that doesn't come from a simple number.

[fireretardant@lemmy.world]

There often is a button or too within the dash cluster to change things like the trip meter or cluster brightness

[fuzzyspudkiss@midwest.social]

I love my HUD, I'm currently driving a rental without one and I hate looking down at the speedo.

[mrscottytay@sh.itjust.works]

I love a digital speedometer but dials as back up feel important