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Car Digital Assistant
suman28 writes "The Japanese company Clarion plans to sell a car with built-in PC that runs Windows which car browse the web, play tunes and store an address manager. The stats on the computer are nice - a 166 MHz RISC processor with 64MB RAM and 8MB video. That seems like a lot for a car."
.. what with mobile phones (whos in car use already illegal in some states and territories), screaming children, and other bad drivers to contend with, are distractions like this really a good idea?
This is just super! I am so glad technology has advanced to the point to where our fast-twitch culture can't even let us ride in the car without watching tv, surfing the web, or yacking on the phone.
Look, I am all for technology, but driving down the road is dangerous enough without some elite* idiot trying to browse porn* while driving. Give me a break. Please, don't put this in your car. If you happen to get into an accident with me, and you have one of these in your car, I'm kicking your ass. Basically, when you are in your 2 ton death-mobile, pay attention to the road.
*For the kiddies, this is the proper spellings for both of these words. Practice.
P.S. All those people that claim the passenger would be the one to use it, yeah right. I see that happening. -1 FLAMEBAIT.
Sent from your iPad.
Driving while browsing = Bad idea
Driving while listening to MP3s = Good idea
And you can always check your email when you get stuck in traffic.
How?
"Yeah boss, I'll get you that number right now. Just let let me go start up my car."
Stuff really doesn't have to be built into everything else ad infinitum, adding layer upon layer of sychronizing your fridge with your car with your PC with your portable device. . . etc.
Anybody ever hear of docking stations?
If you really need to browse the web in your car follow these two simple steps:
1:PARK!
2:Fire up your PDA/Laptop.
Is that really so hard?
KFG
Ok, that's just wacked. Yes, P4 and AthlonXP CPU's are RISC like in their core and use many RISC like tecniques in their micro architecture. But they are not RISC processors that somehow manage to execute X86-32 instructions - they are carefully designed specifically to run X86-32 code - period.
However, the statement that "The only reason they aren't fully RISC for real is because Microsoft wouldn't allow it" is simply wacked. These systems are X86-32 simply beucase that's what they need to be to run the tons and tons of available software.
Don't forget that NT 4.0 ran on other processors besides X86-32 but RISC lost the CPU wars.
RISC lost becuase they couldn't figure out how to make 10's of millions of fast CHEAP processors - AMD and Intel figured out how to do that. Fast, cheap, compatible == winner.
Jibe!
The key to making this feature not only work in this model, but be adopted by other manufacturers, is to enhance and hone the interface. And I mean on both the hardware and software ends. The software must be simple - I mean VERY simple - to use. It ought to be not much more complicated than a CD Player. Already, cell phones have been over-complicated to the point that a non-geek driver needs to look away from the road for a substantial amount of time to, say, find a number in his address-book. Features like MP3/CD audio should be wholly separated from a directions feature which should be wholly separated from the web-browsing feature, etc. And the controls should be consolidated so that there are only a couple more buttons than on a CD Player. Incidentally, I wouldn't mind seeing a safe-guard that let the user browse the web only while stopped. Voice recognition would be good, if it worked; but faulty voice recognition would be more of a distraction to the driver than none at all. In future models, I would like to see a control panel set into the steering wheel and maybe a terse description of what is running at the time on the dash or projected onto the windshield like the speed is in some cars (terse meaning: "Turn left on 10th st.", or, "Now Playing: She Don't Use Jelly - Flaming Lips.mp3"). Finally, integration with the actual car's computers would be nice. One could monitor gas levels efficiently, get stats on miles/gallon, diagnose problems on the fly. Anyway, I don't see much of this a) happening in this model and b)working under a Windows-based OS.
"a 166 MHz RISC processor with 64MB RAM and 8MB video. That seems like a lot for a car"
No it doesn't, especially when you consider that modern cars contain several powerful computing devices for things like engine management, ABS/ESP, airbag control, and usually at least one CAN (Controller Area Network)Bus to link them all together.
I think most people underestimate the computing power already present in cars.
When reading's Gates' "Business at the Speed of Thought", one of the incorrect presumptions he makes is that Computers belong in cars adn that Windows CE will usher in the AutoPC, basically a PDA built into the car.
This is no more compelling that an hardwired "Car Phone" compared to today's pocket size Cell Phones.
I suggest this is simply technology for technology sake. What is the benefit of having e-mail and addresses built into your car? The benefit is having them WITH YOU, regardless of location. a cell phone with addresses, GPS, and navagation capabilities is helpful - it is independent of your car and can be used even if your transmission is out.
This technology is too little, nearly five years too late, and will sell no better than it did five years ago.
I stick to glue
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
yeah you're going to have loads of time for those brain melting visuals while you're speeding down the highway.