| Okay, don't ask customers, but do think about it a bit. They don't want yet another smartphone, physically embedded in their car running crappy, insecure, counterintuitive, out of date software. They've already got a smartphone. They already know how to use it's UI. Did you know people drive different cars sometimes? They don't want or need to be able to order Dunkin Donuts from the crappy, insecure, out of date smartphone welded to their dashboard. If they want Dunkin Donuts, they'll order them from the smartphone they already have. Glueing it into the dashboard doesn't make it any safer to operate underway, and if they've got to stop anyway - they'll use their smartphone. And it isn't going to make you many dollars off those Dunkin Donuts referrals. It seems they would like a way to hook up the smartphone they already have to the car speakers, and possibly even a microphone, built-in somewhere near the driver. Ideally multiple ways, since phone makers keep changing the game. Maybe add some physical tactile control buttons, for volume for example. Maybe that attached device needs to be controlled. You might be tempted to put a touchscreen in there. Don't. They've already got a touchscreen, which is unsafe to use while driving. Give them more knobs and buttons they can use by feel. If you don't give them another touchscreen.. they won't use what you didn't give them. If you must put in a screen, make DAMN sure that the software (and hardware!) behind it is as relevant as you think you can manage for the expected lifetime of the car. Like 10 years. How about 20 years? This might seem like an opportunity for planned obsolescence - it isn't. Just do it well, and do it right. If it absolutely must be more than just an audio+mic jack and some buttons then: * make it as secure as you can make it, and can be updated, securely (thumb drives with checksums are good, wireless, not so much). * it is as bug-free as you can make it, and has the fewest possible features you can get away with - on the assumption that your customers will always have a <= 18 month old smartphone in their hands Sure - we can rip out the crap from the factory, and we will, but that is just more waste. Please do it right and maybe save us all some hassle. |