Last week at CES 2010, Ford made headlines by unveiling the successor to their SYNC communication and entertainment platform, called MyTouch. The new MyTouch user interface will incorporate turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance on all new vehicles that are equipped with it.What's more is that the MyTouch system, which comes with a twin panel display for the driver, is also said to include features like Wi-Fi and Apps to the Car. Sounds like true American ingenuity. Look out Toyota and Honda!
For those of you who haven't experienced SYNC first hand here’s a quick tour. The system was developed for Ford by Microsoft and is fairly good. It made its first appearance in all Ford cars in 2007 and retails for about USD 395 as a standalone. SYNC allows the
BACK TO THE FUTURE
So it's quite obvious how MyTouch is going to help Ford regain a fair bit of market share since the Auto crash of 2008-2009. Not to mention, this is exactly what we've all been dreaming about since the dark ages of motoring (...well that may vary depending on the reader’s age). In a way you could even say the future is now.
WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS?
It's really hard to design something without tradeoffs or some sort of drawbacks and the MyTouch system is no exception. After carefully reading up on it and researching the Ford website I gathered the following info....
a) Cost - Like its predecessor this system is going to add to car ownership costs. And I'm not talking about a one-time cost (which is fairly understandable) but a repeated Upgrade cost. At present the Ford SYNC website allows registered users to download certain upgrades only. The other downloads and major upgrades are only available from the dealer. The cost of one such upgrade can run you about USD 70 (more or less depending on the dealer). The cost of the upgrade is then justified as a labor charge. I doubt the MyTouch system will be any different.
b) Endless Subscriptions - GM owners will be familiar with this one. Most GM cars come with OnStar. A feature that's quite nice in case you have an accident or need roadside assistance or even turn-by-turn directions. So, GM adds a slew of button on the rear view mirror or dashboard for this. The problem is that you have to maintain the subscription with OnStar or risk having some useless features/buttons in your car. The new system from Ford sounds promising but the question is how much of it is going to be subscription based? And will there be any ‘useless buttons’ if you cancel subscriptions or support ceases to exist? It can be quite painful to look at a button that once did something.
c) Purpose - After the unveiling of MyTouch there were a few who had safety concerns about this system. In fact the MyTouch system sounds more like a driver’s distraction than a useful feature to have in ones car. Does one really need to get twitter feeds while on the highway or freeway? As a Ford SYNC user myself, I have at times been distracted by trying to make a call and the voice commands just don't work (maybe because of my accent). It's probably not Fords fault but then again it may be. People seem to have forgotten the purpose of a car. Why do we drive? To get from point A to B. Yes, it would be nice to have some entertainment but apps and Wi-Fi is probably going a wee bit too far.
Note: "The whole process of interface design is also more critical in a vehicle, because the driver is dealing with so many more inputs," said Ford group VP of global product development Derrick Kuzak in prepared remarks. "We have to keep interfaces simple and intuitive. And they have to minimize driver distraction. That's the whole point of SYNC technology—to minimize the distraction of in-car use of mobile devices you love by connecting and controlling them by voice." However, at least one study suggests that using a hands-free device may be no safer than using a hand-held mobile phone while driving. (Source: InformationWeek USA)
d) Voices - This rhymes with the previous statement. How many voices can a person listen to at one time? You have your music playing out loud, your GPS ordering you around and your passengers all talking to you at the same time. Whom do you listen to? It's very distracting for some. Also, it doesn't seem like US Transportation Secretary Ray LaRood is too thrilled about distracted drivers either. The US Department of Transportation has recently launched a website to combat distractions while on the road. See: www.distraction.gov. Also be sure to check out the research and statistics at www.distraction.gov/research/
e) User - It's about time Ford asked themselves the question "Who is the user?". The MyTouch system sounds like it has a lot to offer. But the question is who is it offering what to? Is it for the driver or perhaps the passengers? A system as advanced as the MyTouch should have a clear distinction as to what can be made available to the driver; such as turn-by-turn navigation, voice activated phone system...etc and what can be made available for the passengers; such as Wi-Fi, Apps…etc. At present everything seems like it's been designed for the driver. The car shouldn't really be a mobile entertainment system...at least for safety reasons (see above note).
Anyways, despite these shortcomings I feel confident that the MyTouch is going to boost Ford’s revenue in the coming year…largely because of its novelty rather than the features themselves.
