2000 greenmanjune 15,2000 jon SILVAN likes to think of himself as a person who is comfortable with technology and can understand and use the latest tools that modern life brings to him.
But his new BMW 740i radio confused him.
Trying to use the touch screen of the radio made him feel like he was working the first day behind the soundboard of the rock concert.
"You have to go through so many screens in order to scan," he said . "
Silvan is a partner at a New York market research company.
"For $70,000, you'll find it easier to figure it out.
"On several trips to and from home, Sir
Silvan found that the scanning function is actually a subset of the selection screen, which also includes manual start and automatic scan options.
"I don't know what these people do," he said . "
Over the past few years, as car radios have evolved into control centers for more complex audio systems, their use has become more and more complex.
Buttons and dial have more features, and since radios have to share dashboard space with other devices, including satellite navigation systems, they also become smaller.
Jim Foley, a technical expert at Visteon, said that advertising "we are adding a lot of features and are still trying to keep the interface as simple as possible, which is a huge challenge"-
Now Ford Motor is in the auto parts department in Dearborn, Michigan.
But soon became an independent company. Mr.
Welfare says Visteon tests its dashboard audio interface by putting test objects in the arcade
Drive the seat in style and observe how long it took them to do things like insert the CD and press the preset button.
Advertising the proliferation of car radio functions today has led drivers to have some sort of nostalgia for adjusting the volume or for ordinary old knobs tuned on the station.
Mary O'Neill of Arlington, Ohio, said: "The Knob is easier to use when you drive . " She buys a new car about every four years and often drives long distances.
"Now I have an arrow button and I often have to press and press without anything.
"Tom margreozzi,
The host of a show "Car Talk" on National Public Radio said: "The trend I see is that the more expensive the car is, the more complex the car radio is.
They do this because if you pay $75,000 they think you must want something fancy.
You don't want a normal old radio. ''Mr.
Magliozzi says he thinks touch
Screen menus found on the radios of some expensive vehicles can be dangerous.
"Even if you figure out how to use it," he said, "you still have to do the business by touching --
To the screen menu of the radio.
How are you going to use the touch screen while you're driving?
They think you're sitting at your desk.
"Just like they use computer software and home entertainment systems, many people spend their time learning only what they need on their car radio without considering more complex features.
Please click on the box to verify that you are not a robot.
The email address is invalid. Please re-enter.
You must select the newsletter you want to subscribe.
View all New York Times newsletters.
"I have a button on my radio called the phone," says Earl Hefley, a musician in the city of orrama. "I think when you're playing with your phone, it's a mute switch, but I don't know.
The secret of all this, I believe, is to read the book.
He will look at the owner's manual, sir.
'If it wasn't that long, 'Mr. Hefley said.
Mark eldeman, radio, knob, speaker and stuff manager at a car sound store in Pontiac, Michigan.
He said that when his staff installed the new radio, they showed the customer how to program and set the clock in the favorite station and other basic operations.
But he says customers often come back when they forget what they learn.
The advertisement "We spent a lot of time training them and retraining them and then retraining them again . "Erdman said.
"The more money you spend, the more features you have to learn.
In many cases, the function of the radio is exaggerated and what the customer will do with them.
"Car radio manufacturers, including Delphi Delco electric subsystem, which makes radios for GM, Toyota and Volkswagen, said they were working to make the radios easier to operate while driving.
Ken Erickson, product line manager, Delphi Delco audio systems, said: "We have been turning to larger buttons with different shapes to allow drivers to operate by feeling without leaving their eyes off the road
For example, the company's radios for Buick now have dimples volume knobs and larger display screens.
Some companies, such as Ford and GM, are working on voice activation to help limit the number of buttons and make it safer for people to fiddle with the radio while driving.
Next year, Cadillac Sevilles and Devilles will provide an optional system manufactured by Delphi for drivers to send e-mails
Send mail through voice commands, speak on your phone, and activate radio and CD functions.
Visteon has added optional voice features
Activation control of Jaguar S-
Radio and CD converter of type.
The radio lets the driver listen to his favorite station by saying "radio" and reciting the incoming letter, number or preset number of the station.
In order to prevent the radio from getting confused when people talk in the car, Jaguar's voice activation needs to be pushed by a button.
Many car companies, such as Ford, Toyota and GM, also offer optional steering wheel controls that allow drivers to increase and reduce volume or change station or CD tracks without touching the dashboard.
"We do everything we can to get the driver's hands on the steering wheel and keep their eyes on the road," said Anders Helen, an ergonomic expert at Volvo motors . ".
We are constantly improving the quality of text archives.
Please send feedback, error reports, and suggestions to archid_feedback @ nytimes. com.
A version of the article appears on the national edition G00007 page in June 15, 2000, with the title: a mid-life crisis for car radios.