Computer Meets Car

Posted: 8/5/11 8:21pm Message 1 of 3

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Dejablu

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Wichita, KS - USA

Joined: 11/10/2003

Posts: 6859

Vette(s): 2005 Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic Coupe --------------------- Sold 1974 T-top, 4 spd to BillKS

(Ed. Note: I can’t verify that Bill Gates ever really said this, or when, or where, or if Ford ever responded. I seem to recall reading something like the quoted comment years ago in a book called Small Is Beautiful. In any event, it’s a non-critical subject and a fun read)

Bill Gates recently compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, “If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.” In response to Bill Gates’s comments, Ford issued a press release, stating, if Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to
buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You
would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows,
shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could
continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause
your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would
have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was
reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive—but would
run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all
be replaced by a single “This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation”
warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask “Are you sure?” before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out
and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door
handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced, car buyers would have to learn
how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate
in the same manner as in the old car.

10. You’d have to press the “Start” button to turn the engine off.

PS – When all else failed, you would call “customer service” in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself.

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