Lori Cirefice wrote:
For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers
have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill
Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and
stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has,
we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
Not exactly 25 bucks and 1000 MPG, but somehow near there. The Dacia Logan Diesel.
In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating:
If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars
with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
When the driver is a young men in mid-twenties very possible, at least here in Europe
snip...
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.
Read some German automobile club (ADAC) reports - happens to many, and they somehow accept that.
snap...
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.
They forgotten to add, that those cars would cost twice as much as other and would only fit in special garages for them.
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.
Look at the latest BMW series - we are nearly there
snipsnip...10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.
Already there - all new BWM and Minis (and I think a lot of other cars) are started and stopped with the same button. It has a description (mostly) "Start engine"
So you see the world is getting more modern.
But honestly I really do like this story.
For all German speaking people I would like to recommend this page Technik zum Schmunzeln.
Jerzy