Major Upgrade (Rewrite) Details

[akirby]

The point was simply that there are people out there who have had either no or only minor issues with MFT. They are noted in that thread and I've seen them on other threads and forums for other vehicles.

 

IN NO WAY does this minimize Ford's screwup. It just means that these problems do not affect EVERY SINGLE Edge with MFT nor is EVERY owner dissatisfied.

 

Ford is paying the price in dissatisfied customers and bad press. They're also paying the price by having to do a total rewrite within a year.

 

They totally screwed up and customers with problems have every right to be upset. And Ford is making every effort to fix the problem permanently.

 

No need to exaggerate just because you're upset.

[Dingo]

Do happy customers start internet threads about how they're not having problems?

Edited November 13, 2011 by Dingo

[wilsons66604]

I still think Ford owes me some kind of apology.

Something more than an offer to update my software to something that just might work.

What about the 15 months I've endured with this piece of shit call MyFord Touch? This kind of customer service (or lack of) will keep me from purchasing another Ford.

 

Oh. ..and Boo Hoo for poor little old Ford for having to spend the past year fixing this crap. What a shame.

[wilsons66604]

Do happy customers start internet threads about how they're not having problems?

No. Not usually but there are a few.

[Dingo]

What do you want from them (I mean literally, not figuratively)?

[wilsons66604]

What do you want from them (I mean literally, not figuratively)?

A personal letter admitting that they screwed up. I mean...damn! They got my $40k for a broken product.

 

The latest press release says they doubled the speed. Lack of speed was only one issue. They never admitted that the system was ladened with bugs. (bugs like random audio source selection, the fact that I have to hit BT Audio 5 times to get it to possibly play BT Audio)

Owners that have these features can relate to me. Owners who don't have these issues will have no clue as to why I am frustrated.

[Dingo]

From Ford:

 

Will this Performance Upgrade fix all the problems customers have been having with MyFord Touch? This Performance Upgrade will not only address the issues customers have been having with MyFord Touch, but based on customer feedback, also will make the system simpler and easier to use thus greatly enhancing the ownership experience.

 

Will this software Performance Upgrade solve your quality issues reported by JD Power and Consumer Reports? This software Performance Upgrade is the result of listening, learning and responding to our customers. Therefore we’re confident the ownership experience will be significantly improved, and the resulting third party quality testing will reflect this improvement.

 

Will the system still have black screens or reboots while driving? No, we do not expect customers will experience these issues anymore.

 

How do you know that these issues won’t happen again? We are confident in our testing process.

[wilsons66604]

From Ford:

 

Will this Performance Upgrade fix all the problems customers have been having with MyFord Touch? This Performance Upgrade will not only address the issues customers have been having with MyFord Touch, but based on customer feedback, also will make the system simpler and easier to use thus greatly enhancing the ownership experience.

 

Will this software Performance Upgrade solve your quality issues reported by JD Power and Consumer Reports? This software Performance Upgrade is the result of listening, learning and responding to our customers. Therefore we’re confident the ownership experience will be significantly improved, and the resulting third party quality testing will reflect this improvement.

 

Will the system still have black screens or reboots while driving? No, we do not expect customers will experience these issues anymore.

 

How do you know that these issues won’t happen again? We are confident in our testing process.

"Performance Upgrade" makes it sound like it is just a speed issue.

We are confident in our testing process.

Whoa dude! That's a pretty cocky statement!

Now I know I will have no more problems with MyFord Touch. Awesome!!

[Dingo]

Uh, we're their testing process.

[wilsons66604]

Uh, we're their testing process.

[akirby]

They never admitted that the system was ladened with bugs.

 

Yes they have. Multiple times. One of the main complaints was that the system was slow. Therefore a performance increase would be an upgrade.

 

Of course they're going to put positive PR spin on it but Ford isn't hiding anything here. Give it a rest.

[dr.edge]

From Ford:

 

 

How do you know that these issues won't happen again? We are confident in our testing process.

 

Based on what? Past experience?

 

If they were just as confident in the past and still released the software, then they can't really say that they understand what a testing process is supposed to do.

 

If they weren't confident about the testing process, and they released the software anyway knowing how flawed it was, then a public apology would be a great place to start (not that it's likely to occur).

[akirby]

Based on what? Past experience?

 

If they were just as confident in the past and still released the software, then they can't really say that they understand what a testing process is supposed to do.

 

If they weren't confident about the testing process, and they released the software anyway knowing how flawed it was, then a public apology would be a great place to start (not that it's likely to occur).

 

They screwed up big time and they're fixing it. I don't understand how a public or personal apology is going to change anything.

 

Had they ignored the problems and not done anything to try and fix them that would be a different story.

 

I don't understand what you guys want or why.

[wlepse]

The point was simply that there are people out there who have had either no or only minor issues with MFT. They are noted in that thread and I've seen them on other threads and forums for other vehicles.

 

Unfortunately even if someone posted at one point and time that they were happy with MFT it doesn't mean they remained happy. Our first few weeks with the product were fine, a little slow but relatively few issues. It wasn't until after a few weeks that some issues came up and honestly I would love to have those issues back. Because for me updating to 2.11 has been the biggest mistake. Now we get nearly daily reboots along with a ton of other quirks.

[wilsons66604]

Unfortunately even if someone posted at one point and time that they were happy with MFT it doesn't mean they remained happy. Our first few weeks with the product were fine, a little slow but relatively few issues. It wasn't until after a few weeks that some issues came up and honestly I would love to have those issues back. Because for me updating to 2.11 has been the biggest mistake. Now we get nearly daily reboots along with a ton of other quirks.

Yeah.

Turns out that 2.11 is just another shade of the pig's lipstick.

[akirby]

Yeah.

Turns out that 2.11 is just another shade of the pig's lipstick.

 

For you. For others it made it more stable.

 

Look - you guys that are having problems have every right to complain. But don't make blanket statements about what other people are or are not experiencing. We've been through this before and I'll close the thread if you keep going there.

[tpm419419]

Unfortunately even if someone posted at one point and time that they were happy with MFT it doesn't mean they remained happy. Our first few weeks with the product were fine, a little slow but relatively few issues. It wasn't until after a few weeks that some issues came up and honestly I would love to have those issues back. Because for me updating to 2.11 has been the biggest mistake. Now we get nearly daily reboots along with a ton of other quirks.

 

For me the 2.11 update solved pretty much all the problems I was having. I did have to reboot once but other then that my phone pairing has been 99.9% every time I enter the car. Yes it can be faster but overall it is a tremendous improvement over how I first got the car back in Sept. 2010. I think it had 1.8 or something like that

[JeffIsHereToo]

Simple - the old one was written by BSQUARE using Flash. The new one was written by Ford and Microsoft and doesn't use Flash. It's totally new, more efficient software. The old software - at one point - had 1500 bugs. Never should have been released but the new Edge was fully dependent on it so Ford took a gamble they could stabilize it within a couple of months. They lost and they're paying the price.

 

Wow…you mean the Flash that Adobe just canceled for anything other than desktop computers? That Flash? For me, again as a software product manager, there is NO WAY I would have agreed to using Flash as the foundation for something like MFT.

 

Look, it's easy to blame BSQUARE but the FACT is there should have been someone at Ford that reviewed the MRD and the Technology Plan and the Functional Specification and said "no way Flash". Apple clearly saw the issues with Flash yet the decision-maker at Ford slept. If the Edge was "fully dependent" then they should have taken the same care and due diligence they would for any other part on the car.

 

The reality is here they didn't, or weren't qualified to, make the right call. As soon as BSQUARE mentioned Flash they should have been shown the door. Of course now I'm worried the new system is written in the soon to be killed Microsoft Silverlight! Anyone want to place bets on that!?!?

 

Look, I'm sorry if I am bitter but this is what I do for a living, and at a scale Ford could only dream of, and it's just sad to see the promise of this system not realized. I shouldn't be telling people not to buy a car with the system installed! Ford I should be singing its praises! I wish I was.

 

In the meantime seriously go hire a 3rd party QA team and have them test it, test it, test it.

 

Finally, speed IS NOT the issue. It's the crashing! Back in the early days of Mac OS9 we had a list of user issues. #2 was the time it took the system to reboot. We had a big update and soon after found that the time to reboot issue had fallen to #11 or something yet we had done nothing to speed that up! The answer was the system crashed less! So users had to reboot less and it was no longer a priority. So please make things WORK so I don't have to do things 2 or 3 times while I drive and notice the speed. I'd just be happy if it worked.

 

Seriously.

Edited November 14, 2011 by JeffIsHereToo

[akirby]

Wow…you mean the Flash that Adobe just canceled for anything other than desktop computers? That Flash? For me, again as a software product manager, there is NO WAY I would have agreed to using Flash as the foundation for something like MFT.

 

Look, it's easy to blame BSQUARE but the FACT is there should have been someone at Ford that reviewed the MRD and the Technology Plan and the Functional Specification and said "no way Flash". Apple clearly saw the issues with Flash yet the decision-maker at Ford slept. If the Edge was "fully dependent" then they should have taken the same care and due diligence they would for any other part on the car.

 

The reality is here they didn't, or weren't qualified to, make the right call. As soon as BSQUARE mentioned Flash they should have been shown the door. Of course now I'm worried the new system is written in the soon to be killed Microsoft Silverlight! Anyone want to place bets on that!?!?

 

Look, I'm sorry if I am bitter but this is what I do for a living, and at a scale Ford could only dream of, and it's just sad to see the promise of this system not realized. I shouldn't be telling people not to buy a car with the system installed! Ford I should be singing its praises! I wish I was.

 

In the meantime seriously go hire a 3rd party QA team and have them test it, test it, test it.

 

Finally, speed IS NOT the issue. It's the crashing! Back in the early days of Mac OS9 we had a list of user issues. #2 was the time it took the system to reboot. We had a big update and soon after found that the time to reboot issue had fallen to #11 or something yet we had done nothing to speed that up! The answer was the system crashed less! So users had to reboot less and it was no longer a priority. So please make things WORK so I don't have to do things 2 or 3 times while I drive and notice the speed. I'd just be happy if it worked.

 

Seriously.

 

Obviously Ford allowed themselves to be snowed by BSQUARE. I don't think they've ever done anything as big and complicated as MFT and I'm sure they bought whatever BSQUARE was selling them. Now they know better. Live and learn.

[choff1138]

Quote from Social Media rep on Facebook... I followed up with a request for more info on this.

 

 

Jaclyn At Ford Hey,!

 

Along with the Performance Upgrade that will be mailed out early next year, customers that purchased the navigation system will receive an SD-card with new and improved map data.

 

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

 

Jaclyn,

In-Vehicle Technology Team

 

 

New update...

 

Jaclyn At Ford No problem, Ron.

 

@Carrie & Nicole -

 

Customers that purchased the navigation option will receive a new and improved SD-card in their Performance Upgrade packet.

 

Give me a shout if you have additional questions.

[tpm419419]

Cnet Car Tech Live webcast will have a hands on report of the NEW MFT at the LA Auto Show. Expect it to air in the next day or so

[wlepse]

Was just reading up on the expected new software and have more questions. Several sources mention an 8GB USB drive to do the install. If I remember correctly the flash drive on the APIM is only 2GB, so why would you need 8? Is Ford just offering up this drive as an extra gift? Seems like they could have saved a lot of money with 2GB sticks. Also this CNET article specifically mentions that the processor is a Freescale i.MX51but I could swear the one currently in the MFT is the i.MX31which is much older and slower. Can anyone confirm either of these CPU's? From what I remember the 31 is running at 400MHz and can top out a little over 500, but the 51 runs at 600-800, that is a significant difference. Also noticed in this article that they confirm that new map data will be supplied but also mention that the source of the data is a different company, Navteq. Does anyone know who the current supplier is and have you heard of this change?

[Dingo]

Also noticed in this article that they confirm that new map data will be supplied but also mention that the source of the data is a different company, Navteq. Does anyone know who the current supplier is and have you heard of this change?

 

On the current SD card package, it lists Wcities, InfoUSA, Gracenote, USTA, Telenav, TeleAtlas, Sync by Microsoft, and FoMoCo.

I know what Gracenote, USTA, Sync, and FoMoCo are and they aren't it.

I know that Telenav provides map data, but I don't know who the rest of those folks are. I'd guess that at least the majority of it comes from Telenav.

Edited November 18, 2011 by Dingo

[cirockets]

On the current SD card package, it lists Wcities, InfoUSA, Gracenote, USTA, Telenav, TeleAtlas, Sync by Microsoft, and FoMoCo.

I know what Gracenote, USTA, Sync, and FoMoCo are and they aren't it.

I know that Telenav provides map data, but I don't know who the rest of those folks are. I'd guess that at least the majority of it comes from Telenav.

 

My understanding it was by Telenav. I just received my new Garmin 3490LMT with Navtec maps and they are really up to date (2 streets only about 18 months old are on the new maps). On my Ford edge, streets 8-10 years old are not on the Telenav maps. I wouldn't be disappointed if they did switch to Navtec

[wlepse]

So if that article is right they are actually changing the map data to Navteq which is the same company that supplies maps to Garmin which tends to be regarded as having the most reliable data. This would be nice but I hope the data itself isn't old. Also does anyone know how these systems work? Meaning if you get you maps from Navteq do they also supply the code to do routing or is it up to the end user to generate this? I know we have seen some extremely questionable routes so far.