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."

Comments

Just great...

[EvilCabbage]

.. 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?

Here comes a different view

[Em Emalb]

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.

Beats local radio

[MoonBuggy]

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.

And this is better than a good portable device. .

[kfg]

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

Re:Uhh, RISC?

[Foredecker]

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.

Reminds me of "Business at the Speed of Thought"

[amichalo]

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