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Will Your Next Car Run Windows?
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft is beginning to move into the automotive industry. Their 'Automotive Business Unit' is selling a custom version of Windows CE called Windows Automotive. Microsoft attended a conference in Detroit this week to promote their software."
seems like it's audio only
Laugh What you're describing is Heel Toe Braking and it is used in auto racing.
Exactly what we've come to expect from Windows upgrades -- breaking a feature people have come to rely on.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
It's an old idea from 1990's they are re-hashing.
the had a version of windowsCE designed for automotive uses back in 1997, in 1999 I bought a device that had their first release of it.
it's called AutoPC and it sucked horribly.
I expected microsoft to rehash that nightmare, but now we get to see it run more than the stereo, you get to have it control your heat, vents, defrost, etc...
Why does it seem that insftead of innovating, microsoft simply trots out their old ideas every 7-10 years? tablet Pc's for example... they were a failure outside of specalized uses in 1989, and in the late 90's. why do they think it will work now?
Unless they rewrote windows CE completely, I certianly would not want it in my car after living with it controlling the stereo and navigation for 4 years.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
The results have been less than rosey. One famous example is the Thai Finance Minister who was trapped in his BMW after WinCE crashed and immobilized the vehicle - doors, locks, windows, AC, everything.
Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10
Funny moderations don't have an affect on karma, so how exactly is nmg karma-whoring?
Learn something new.
Just to adress the very last part of your post, in all seriousness.
Why not spend more?
As long as you have zero high interest debt (credit cards, car loans), are building equity in real estate, and have a positive savings rate every month, then by all means spend more.
Unfortunately, a lot of people carry lots of debt and pay a lot of interest on it. Due to the clever or vicious, (depending on your point of view) way compound interest works, many people cannot escape their debt, as the interest increases to absorb their ability to pay off the principal balance.
If you do the math, and no-one does becuase it is very boring and depressing, you will find out that every new dollar you spend costs you 1.20 a year, just waving my hands (i'm not spending the time to do the calculation).
The end result is that many people end up spending far more and getting far less becuase they choose not to delay "spending a few extra bucks" untill AFTER they have cleared all their interest debt.
To summarize very simply, money you spend on credit card interest is just thrown away. Even tax decutible interest just offsets your income, you do not get to deduct the 3000 you spent in home morgatge interest off the the "PAY US" line on the bottom of you tax form.
Further, money spent on rent is also essentially lost. A property owner builds equity, takes advantage of property value increases, is his own master, etc. etc.
A renter can only wait for the landlord to raise the rent.
I fully grant you that ipods are insanely cool. Next year, some new insanely cool item will come out. Just renember that an ipod deferred will buy you 2 ipods next year.
This might be funny but BMW has proven it true. They integrated win CE into one of thier cars ages ago and it did LOTS of wierd things (such as shifting into reverse at high speed and popping the trunk lid at random times). It wasn't necessarily CE's fault that it went so poorly but integrating software which is known to be flakey (in general, not any specific application) into a car which must be fairly reliable is not something to take lightly.
"You can now flame me, I am full of love,"
- At lease he didn't go with a crash joke.
Look like someone is having bad psychological problems with late payments on his car loan...A mod point! A mod point! My kingdom for a mod point!
[Gives Rosco a standing ovation]
The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
iPod Your BMW. Says Apple, this is "The first seamless integration of iPod and automobile."
Others had made similar homebrew iPod and non-iPod solutions before (and iPod and non-iPod after) Apple/BMW's solution.
At this point, it doesn't look like Apple has any official plans to unveil further integration of Apple technology with automobiles. Of course, Apple almost always "does not comment on unreleased products."
the JoshMeister on Security
sorry.. the proper links
Did Microsoft software trap Thailand 's finance minister?
BMW glitch locks Thai minister in
It was an older 520 and it was NOT runnign Windows CE of any kind.
I've heard that Microsoft made a presentation to some big car company, and insisted that Microsoft had to control the content of the startup screen. The car people did not like that at all.
His exact words were:
Hopefully, the presence of Windows CE in the car is not an attempt to change the car's user interface.
Yup, QNX pretty much owns the automotive space:
Current Auto Mfgs using QNX:
Acura, Audi, BMW, Citroen, Chrysler, Daewoo, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, SAAB, Volkswagen, Volvo.