It made me wonder if there's a going theory (amongst those experts what care about such things) that analog, needle-based speedometers have a different and perhaps more effective psychological effect on drivers than simple digital readouts.
Actually, it's a UI design thing. Digital speedometers only tell you about the present. "Oh, I'm going 37 mph." To get some idea of a trend, you have to maintain active attention on the speedometer, this is not useful when one is driving. Analogue, needle-based speedometers, tell you about the past, present, and future in the same amount of attention as a digital speedometer tells you about the present. "Oh, thingy moving clockwise through 35mph. I must be going around 37mph and accelerating."
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Date: 2005-05-11 12:24 pm (UTC)Actually, it's a UI design thing. Digital speedometers only tell you about the present. "Oh, I'm going 37 mph." To get some idea of a trend, you have to maintain active attention on the speedometer, this is not useful when one is driving. Analogue, needle-based speedometers, tell you about the past, present, and future in the same amount of attention as a digital speedometer tells you about the present. "Oh, thingy moving clockwise through 35mph. I must be going around 37mph and accelerating."