[drkeng]

What is everyone with the new i-drive unit using the shortcut buttons for?
I haven't set any of the six on the dash yet.
Steering wheel top (diamond): change entertainment mode
Steering wheel bottom (star): display phonebook
Considering for 1-6: call home, Sirius 22, Sirius 100, FM 93.1, ????

Seems like you don't really need to enter i-drive for basic climate functions, like a/c, defog, temp and fan settings; they're right on the dash, like any car.

[M4TW]

I'm planning on using one to display the oil level.

[theroyalwe]

I usually program or suggest that customers program home and work nav destinations to 1 and 2 so they can just hit the button. without setting a destination the realtime traffic isn't very useful. after that maybe putting a home phone number or spouses cell number. remember... I think there are different presets for each key too, so they can do that.

[rjs]

i thought there were 8 shortcuts, not 6

[puck724]

psh. i want shortcuts.

[theroyalwe]

6 shortcuts on US versions... the last two buttons are am/fm and mode

[epiphone3]

I am going to help my dad set up his 535xi with following short cuts:

1. oil level display
2. mom's cell phone
3. nav home
4. nav work

Not sure for the rest...

[drkeng]

Thanks to everyone responding.

I don't know. Nav to home and work seem like a waste, unless there is variable traffic and you want to take advantage of the RTT info for alternate routes. I have about 2 choices: expressway or scenic route up Sheridan road. As long as you have home and work stored in destinations, it shouldn't be too hard to select them on the occasion when you want the extra help.

Won't the CAR TELL YOU when it's low on oil?

Interesting thoughts, though.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by drkeng

Won't the CAR TELL YOU when it's low on oil?

.

Yes, but lots seem to love watching it a couple times a day, every day

[epiphone3]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

Yes, but lots seem to love watching it a couple times a day, every day

Yeah... some of us also like to keep an eye on it to observe, not only the amount of consumption actuallly experienced, but also to know whether or not you've had a problem with your oil sensor. If you never look at the oil level and then all of sudden you get a warning that you are a quart low, how do you know you are actually a quart low and you didn't just have a sensor malfunction. And if you just assume you didn't have a sensor failure, you could end up adding a quart of oil to a car that doesn't need and over-fill the oil and hurt your engine.

If you observe regularily, you can see progressive consumption over time and know that you sensor didn't all of a sudden stop working. And you will be in better touch with what is normal for your ride.

[bmargolis]

Jeez...I didn't even know I could set shortcuts! My iDrive is not working properly right now. I can pull it down to get to "Entertainment", or anything else that requires a down selection. I'll have to get that fixed quickly. I've been using voice command to get to Entertainment.

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by drkeng

What is everyone with the new i-drive unit using the shortcut buttons for?
I haven't set any of the six on the dash yet.
Steering wheel top (diamond): change entertainment mode
Steering wheel bottom (star): display phonebook
Considering for 1-6: call home, Sirius 22, Sirius 100, FM 93.1, ????

Seems like you don't really need to enter i-drive for basic climate functions, like a/c, defog, temp and fan settings; they're right on the dash, like any car.

I haven't decided yet. Probably audio presets mostly. Voice commands make short work of other things. There is a thread on this, for those curious about what we're talking about:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54162

Originally Posted by Sparkplug

I'm planning on using one to display the oil level.

That is not a possibility. You'll need to find another way to satisfy your obession with your oil level.

Originally Posted by theroyalwe

I usually program or suggest that customers program home and work nav destinations to 1 and 2 so they can just hit the button. without setting a destination the realtime traffic isn't very useful. after that maybe putting a home phone number or spouses cell number. remember... I think there are different presets for each key too, so they can do that.

Good point about the RTTI. My first thought reading your post was "does he only sell to alzheimer patients?" But that makes sense. Nice tip!

Originally Posted by bmargolis

Jeez...I didn't even know I could set shortcuts! My iDrive is not working properly right now. I can pull it down to get to "Entertainment", or anything else that requires a down selection. I'll have to get that fixed quickly. I've been using voice command to get to Entertainment.

Do you have a March 2007 built car? If yours was built prior to March of this year you don't have the buttons.

[Brett]

Easy:

1: (Navigation) Home
2: (Navigation) Work (good idea about RTTI)
3: (Navigation) Airport
4: (Phone) Soon-to-be wife
5: (Entertainment) iPod Playlist
6: (Navigation) Search by PO ()

-Brett

[drkeng]

Haven't played with Nav a lot, yet. But, here's a question:
Could you program the shortcut button to the screen where you have all your stored destinations. Then, you could just quickly scroll to the place you're headed, click, and voila, get the RTTI. As Led said, you should have some idea where home is most of the time...(hmmmm, after a visit to the local watering hole....maybe not). Then, you'd free up buttons for other stuff. For Brett, it'd save 2 other buttons, like for other entertainment stuff, without much extra work.

[LEDZEP]

No, has to be a specific destination.

[1clean335i]

all of mine are radio station presets as of now....

[abc]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Do you have a March 2007 built car? If yours was built prior to March of this year you don't have the buttons.

all March built 3's have the buttons?

[tctic]

Originally Posted by abc

all March built 3's have the buttons?

Yes, if you have iDrive.

[MrWorf]

Originally Posted by theroyalwe

6 shortcuts on US versions... the last two buttons are am/fm and mode

Does this mean that we europeans get 8 buttons? Sweet

[KJFlood]

Originally Posted by drkeng

What is everyone with the new i-drive unit using the shortcut buttons for? Sirius 100, ????

Lol, all you need right there. The rest is just....frosting

[jbake]

radio presets!

[Lassaxi]

Originally Posted by theroyalwe

I usually program or suggest that customers program home and work nav destinations to 1 and 2 so they can just hit the button. without setting a destination the realtime traffic isn't very useful. after that maybe putting a home phone number or spouses cell number. remember... I think there are different presets for each key too, so they can do that.

I'll admit that I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to things like this, but I generally think it's a bad idea to store a "home" address. If your car is stolen, a "home" address gives the crooks a map, with turn-by-turn directions (and now real time traffic info) to your house.