V9 Feedback From Forum Members?

sentabo

Does anyone have any thoughts on the new update? What do you think of it? Now might be a good time to share your likes and dislikes.

dameyersman

Just got off the phone with technical support (2 hour hold time). I am taking the car into a service center to have it reverted back to the previous version (hopefully).

The update has some features which some people might want, but none of them were of any interest to me personally (don't need Atari games, a way to record the dash cam and I wouldn't trust the autodrive to fully maneuver on the highway). The 360 degree icon view is a joke, as it sees cars that aren't there and often shows ghost cars ramming into my car or into each other.

The biggest drawback (and they are getting a nonstop flood of calls about it) is that they took away the ability to have the rear camera on top. The person I spoke with couldn't guarantee it, but said they will LIKELY find a way to revert to the previous UI. When I told them they either revert the car back now, or I would be selling it and getting a different brand, they set me an appointment to take the car in, where they said they MIGHT be willing to roll it back.

Overall, I think this is an INCREDIBLY poorly thought out update.

murphyS90D

IMHO the V9 update was done by people that have never driven a Tesla. The black and white trend reminds me of what Apple did to iOS several years ago. Maybe the people from Apple are now at Tesla.

leong1234

I too want the rear view camera on the top screen!

sr.smr_93449709

scottk19691, please let us know if service successfully restores V8. I like the much improved autopilot that now works much less aggressively on V9, but am prepared to give it up just to get the V8 UI back.

tes-s

I have an 85 with V8 and will trade for a MS with 75 or larger battery. I'll drive anywhere in the US to do the swap.

Anthony J. Parisio

I really like the V9! It seems much safer and smarter. The only thing I would like to see is the split screen option returned. Not for me but for those who want it.

bp

Let's put this into perspective...

What other manufacturers today have...

> 15-17" console displays large enough to be able to display more than one app?

> and, if they support multiple apps, provide the ability to control the location & size of each app window?

> provide all of the vehicle controls through the console user interface? [other manufacturers limit functions while moving]

> use a simple touchscreen interface, vs. another (less efficient) pointing device?

> allow the rear camera display to be on at any time (not just when backing up)?

> committed to providing software updates & new features for the lifetime of the car (2012 Tesla's also got V9)?

And have this in a long range EV, with support for a long distance supercharging network integrated into the navigation software?

While it's true V9 is missing obvious features (Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, waypoints, playlists, route customization, real-time traffic warnings, placement of app windows on the top, more customization of the dashboard display, …) - how many vehicles are on the market today with the overall capabilities of the V9 software?

Just like with previous major releases, it will take us some time to get over the disappointments with some of the changes in the latest release. Could they have done better? - yes.

But we didn't buy our S or X because it had a great UI - we bought then because they are great long range EVs - and despite the relatively small frustrations with the V9 UI changes, that hasn't changed. And, like with previous releases (V8, V7, …), we'll get used to the changes - and go through this frustration again when V10 comes out...

If loss of the rear camera window at the top of the console display or any other specific software feature is the major reason for owning a Tesla, then rather than trying to rollback to V8 (and freezing out any improvements in the navigation, media player, AP software), it's probably better to sell/trade-in the Tesla for another vehicle.

What vehicles are on the market today that are better than a Tesla with the V9 software? And what other compromises will be made to get it (such as going back to an ICE, or having an EV that can't easily take road trips)?

barrykmd

bp - you're missing everyone's point, which is don't take away flexibility without a good reason. I don't consider dumbing down the S/X to look like a 3 a good reason. They are 2 different classes of vehicle, and more importantly, the form factor of the displays are very different.

Does Lexus dumb down their LS to make it look like a Corolla?

jordanrichard_629778

So all of these complaints are really coming down to "camera gate".

People are threatening to get rid of their car over the loss ability to move the camera to the top of the screen. Go buy a Lexus and ask them to give you the ability to rearrange their dash to your liking........

Ask Lexus to let you enter an address into the nav sys. while moving....
Ask them to allow you to even have the rear camera on while in drive.......

Mathew98

Like Barry stated, if they wanted uniformity, why not get rid of the MCU altogether and use standard radio and HVAC controls with a thousand buttons?

Why not cut the AWD option completely and sell RWD
exclusively? It would cut inventory and production costs.

That line of reasoning doesn't pass the sniff test. Please provide one valid reason that a user configurable screen layout would hurt the V9 screen layout? It never caused a problem for V1 to V9.

StatsApp

V9 is a huge technological leap that's given to us for free.

RU64

I want the radio, etc. on top and the map on the bottom. PERIOD!

talels

I really like the V9 update, and I always have maps on the top anyway. I tried using the rearview camera on top when I had V8, but there was too much movement and it was too distracting for me.
The improved autopilot is great, and I like the new blind spot monitoring on the instrument cluster. Also I find the new media player is much easier to use.

Mathew98

Again, how would giving us back the option to customize the layout somehow lessen your V9 experience if you elect to keep navigation on top?

Do what you want and place the apps where you want. How would that offend anyone when I'm driving MY car to MY configuration?

PBEndo

Any updates or improvements to the UI should be made with the goal of adding and improving features while causing no reduction in features or function for anybody. This is a difficult target to hit and usually results in some compromise. If the improvement is beneficial enough and the loss is minimal, the trade-off is worth it.
Unfortunately, in the specific case of the maps always on screen in version 9, there is no trade-off. Having the maps always occupy the top of the screen offers little to no improvement for anybody while it is a dramatic reduction in functionality for many. Somebody involved in the process should have flagged this change and said "Why?"

bas9940_98159178

The new autopilot and blindspot monitoring are nice improvements. The dashcam feature is also appreciated. These override any minor inconveniences of having to get used to the new interface and the way split screens work. Plus, Atari games are awesome. Nostalgic!

Unknown

PBEndo Maps always on is probably the way future FSD cars will be using. You will always be needing the navigation map either running foreground or background when FSD is in operation. Some say V9 for S/X is dumbiing it down to the 3 level but they forgot the 3 is actually the latest design. It is the first car ever designed with future FSD in mind. The screen layout, the phone key the inside camera are all for that. I wouldn't be surprised that the next gen S/X will be more like the 3 than the current S/X design.

I do hope Tesla could reverse V9 back to V8 for those who want it that way though. Putting the camera on top of screen should not be that hard to do but even that may not make everyone happy. Making V9 the old split screen way is not going to happen.

SoCal Buzz

+1 @BP, nice post. I really like just about everything with V9. Sure, it would be great to have flexibility to select a default app for the top part of screen (who knows, we may just get that!). And it seems just offering this feature would resolve the vast majority of complaints.

But the overall UI is better in my opinion. I like having the menu at bottom of the screen and the smooth swipe gestures to stretch / close various functions. The media app is easier to use and comes in 3 flavors depending on preference. I'm sure a future release will remember your preference to streamline use.

And we have many new functions like HOV on Nav, sending Nav destinations from mobile app, remote SW updates, dashcam, etc. All of this is well worth the change, and I'm not even mentioning the most important... 360 use of all cameras for AP (which I realize does not benefit everyone, but is crucial to Tesla's AP vision and competitive position).

murphyS90D

@bas9940
Only cars that have AP 2.5 have the dash cam feature.
None of the previous cars have it.

ByTor

Anyone else having problems with volume starting at zero (can't hear the other person until adjusting volume on the left steering wheel button) when placing cell phone calls through Bluetooth? This was never a problem before V9. Coincidence?

PBEndo

@carlk
I understand Tesla may have a long term UI goal in mind, but I don't buy the argument that having maps on the top screen full time is needed for FSD nor that it should be in every car now. When I am a passenger in an Uber, I don't need to see a map display at all times. Being a passenger in a FSD Tesla would be no different. Now that we can send destinations via the app, there is even less need to interact with the touchscreen map. Once FSD arrives, we no longer need the camera at all, whether in drive or reverse. We also don't need the dash display of the surrounding cars, etc. so why are these features still available? And more to the point, FSD will never be available for my 2 cars.
So what reasoning is left? It is easier for Tesla to develop one firmware version despite it reducing the functionality of many cars. That is not acceptable. Stopping development for older cars is bad enough (AP1 ain't getting better) but removing features they previously had - that is just not right. I hope Tesla was surprised by the feedback they are getting and will realize the mistake they made. If they aren't surprised and went forward with this plan despite knowing how many would be hurt by it, they are no longer the company they used to be and that would be a shame.

tldickerson

@PBEndo, Plus 1000 %

Unknown

SoCal Buzz I too think it's an overall much better UI with many nice touches. The icon bar at bottom is easier to reach than the the old one on the very top too. The map is that way because it will need to be always on when FSD features start to roll out whether you let the car to drive itself or not. That is just for the future but that, not to diminish certain people's camera screen issue of course, works pretty nice for me too since that's the way I always use it and it's just getting better now.

Not only the media has three sizes each one has different layout that allows you to see and do different things. Makes certain quests much easier to do now. The nav has some cool new features but I promised in my heavily trolled thread that I will not reveal what I have found until some smarter people figured that out themselves first.

Do people have choices? Of course they do. If you want the car to be like all other cars and be exactly the same way when you bought it just never update it. Again I hope what the poster mentioned to roll it back can be done.

Unknown

PBEndo See my post above. There is no need for it in non-FSD cars but it's unreasonable to have very different UI in different models from both software development and users who own multiple cars points of view. I resisted to update to Win8 from my Win7 and Win10 because I'd lose some features like my Google desktop search and certain spread sheet features I used to use. Finally MIS told me I had to do it and found out, after using the new version for a while, the latest one is leaps and bounds better in every way than the old one. It might take a few iterations to get there but you have to believe the direction is always to get things better (for most people) and not worse.

Unknown

...resisted to update to Win8 and Win10 from Win7....