Why only 8 numpad buttons for MID/iDrive in E70!?

[DSKO]

Can anyone explain to me why there will be only 8 numpad buttons for the MID/iDrive in the E70?

Why didn't BMW add only 2 more buttons and you would have a full 0-9 numpad for entering numbers for telephone, navigation, CD and so on?

I always wondered why it was only 6 buttons for the navigation screen in the "old" model(s)...
It is so ridiculus to do the turn-find-and-press thing for the right nav knob to enter numbers...

I was hoping they would fix this in the E70, but no...

Come on BMW: TWO MORE NUMPAD BUTTONS!

[DSKO]

Hmm... So I'm the only one who cares about this?
230 views and no replies...

[Fastbuck]

Originally Posted by DSKO

Can anyone explain to me why there will be only 8 numpad buttons for the MID/iDrive in the E70?

Probably following a 5 year multi-million dollar research project, BMW etablished that remembering what 9 or more buttons actually had stored behind them was beyond the average bear!

[DSKO]

This really puzzles me, and it would be interesting to hear the reason from BMW, or someone who knows somebody within BMW...

Anybody?

[Kewl X5]

Hmmm, in my E53 X5, I don't have BMW NAV system. I do have the MID/Radio. In the telephone menu, I have 0-9 & #/* buttons.

Well, I guess new E70 X5 will have voice activation to dial the numbers and you'll have to use that darn iDrive knob to input numbers while on a call.

[DSKO]

Voice activation/speech recognition will only work for english, I guess?
And I can't imagine how it will work with the stereo at max volume...

In the Volvo XC90 there's an own 0-9 keypad for the phone (at least in the car I was passenger in).

And I also think I saw a drawer-kind-of numpad (push-in-push-out) for the BMW 7-series, can anybody confirm that?

Maybe the E70 will have one of those?

[LeMansX5]

Originally Posted by DSKO

Voice activation/speech recognition will only work for english, I guess?
And I can't imagine how it will work with the stereo at max volume...

In the Volvo XC90 there's an own 0-9 keypad for the phone (at least in the car I was passenger in).

And I also think I saw a drawer-kind-of numpad (push-in-push-out) for the BMW 7-series, can anybody confirm that?

Maybe the E70 will have one of those?

I am pretty sure BMW will have something for german and french. The stereo is muted when giving voice commands. To give voice command you press a button so that the car knows you are talking to her. Otherwise you know what will happen if you are talking to kids and car thinks you are talking to her.

[rodybmw]

Originally Posted by DSKO

Voice activation/speech recognition will only work for english, I guess?
And I can't imagine how it will work with the stereo at max volume...

In the Volvo XC90 there's an own 0-9 keypad for the phone (at least in the car I was passenger in).

And I also think I saw a drawer-kind-of numpad (push-in-push-out) for the BMW 7-series, can anybody confirm that?

Maybe the E70 will have one of those?

The E65 7 series does have the drawer numpad. My E60 does not have one, but the voince command system works well for the most part, especially when you're just saying the numbers out (instead of the name of the person). Also, when you activate voice command it mutes the stereo, beeps once, and waits for your command. Although there are other sounds (e.g. road or wind noise) that sometimes confuse it, the stereo is not a problem since it is automatically muted during Voice command.

[DSKO]

Thanks for the responses!

But I don't have voice activation, my native language is not english, french or german, and I think it would be faster to use a 0-9 numpad, and while I'm entering the number and the phone is dialing; I could be listening to music until the call is connected...

I also would like to have the numpad for entering street numbers in the navigation system, entering song numbers for CDs, for MP3 players, for the carpc, and so on...
With a 0-9 numpad you could also have the T9 Text Input system for entering text; MUCH faster than iDrive (I think) and the dreaded nav-right-knob...

The whole point is; why limiting the options for owners?

Just 2 MORE NUMPAD BUTTONS!

[Kewl X5]

You still can dial from your cellphone as well.

Originally Posted by DSKO

Thanks for the responses!

But I don't have voice activation, my native language is not english, french or german, and I think it would be faster to use a 0-9 numpad, and while I'm entering the number and the phone is dialing; I could be listening to music until the call is connected...

I also would like to have the numpad for entering street numbers in the navigation system, entering song numbers for CDs, for MP3 players, for the carpc, and so on...
With a 0-9 numpad you could also have the T9 Text Input system for entering text; MUCH faster than iDrive (I think) and the dreaded nav-right-knob...

The whole point is; why limiting the options for owners?

Just 2 MORE NUMPAD BUTTONS!