The only problem is that to be successful as a product, these cars have to look like normal cars, drive like normal cars, be priced similar to normal cars, meet normal car safety tests, and have all the features expected by modern cars.
To meet all of these tests unfortunately requires some compromises. Looking/driving like normal cars might sacrifice some aerodynamic capabilities, being as safe as normal cars without sacrificing too much weight means using more expensive materials, and all the luxury features expected in modern cars aren't lightweight either.
I'm sure a 100USMPG car could be made, but it's likely to be either far too small, lacking in features and unsafe to be viable as a product, or far too expensive.
I live in Australia, where metric has been the official measuring system since the early 1970's. However, a lot of imperial measurements do unofficially live on.
For example, you're more likely to hear the weight of a newborn baby in pounds/ounces than in kilograms, but for everyone else, it's always in kilograms. Height is more commonly expressed in feet/inches than centimetres, some lengths are more common in feet or inches (yes, like yer penis). Beer measurements are based on imperial (sometimes rounded to nearest metric units), as well.
The most common ones would be feet and inches, easier to say 2 feet than 60.96cm:)
A strange thing is, though, that although our CRT TVs are almost always measured in centimetres, our computer monitors and all LCD TVs and monitors are measured in inches.
I think there are two reasons why AM2 isn't enjoying the same popularity as 939 systems.
1) It doesn't offer a large performance increase over 939, so those with decent 939 setups aren't encouraged to upgrade (and those that are are prepared to spend the extra for C2D). However, I do believe that will be changed a little once AMD release their 65nm core (I think it's called Brisbane), and I do believe they'll tweak the memory controller for extra performance (advantage of having it on the die).
2) Conroe. Let's face it, for a high end system, it's virtually a no-brainer. I do think that for the low end machines, the AMD product is still superior to Netburst (I built an AM2 system for my parents a couple of months back), but Conroe has pretty much wrapped up the medium-high end desktop market.
Will AMD get it back? I think it depends on whether AMD can release their 65nm product before Intel releases budget Conroe-based CPUs. Once Intel release Core-based CPUs for the low end, AMD will be in a bit more trouble, IMO.
Of course, once Apple release new iPod models, and the Christmas quarter hits, they'll be hot property again.
I reckon it's a bit premature predicting the demise of the iPod this early.
They would have to control what advertisements are allowed in what textbook, otherwise, who knows what could end up in them? Imagine a church group advertising in an evolution textbook, for example...
It won't happen. Firstly, there isn't enough bandwidth for terminals (even basic X terminals) to work (remember how many people are still on dialup, and I can't get faster than my current 1.5Mbit ADSL). Secondly, modern computers are more than adequate for most users' needs (then again, many would get by with a P3 700).
Thirdly, in the developed countries, standard PCs are cheap enough to not need these terminals, and in the developing countries, there's not going to be enough bandwidth for it to work at all. I just can't see why people would give up their PC for one.
I'm not certain that MS would switch off features in pirated versions of Windows, but what's to stop them from doing other things to non-legitimate versions?
For example, the Aero interface on Vista could be disabled for non-genuine Windows versions, the maximum screen resolution could be 1024x768, only utilising one core on dualcore CPUs, etc.
That seems much more likely than switching every PC off, I believe.
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It's fun to screw with the D M C A!
now all we need is a cop, a construction worker, and those other ones...
What's next, Duke Nukem Forever? Damn, I can't make the Vista jokes anymore... :(
The only problem is that to be successful as a product, these cars have to look like normal cars, drive like normal cars, be priced similar to normal cars, meet normal car safety tests, and have all the features expected by modern cars.
To meet all of these tests unfortunately requires some compromises. Looking/driving like normal cars might sacrifice some aerodynamic capabilities, being as safe as normal cars without sacrificing too much weight means using more expensive materials, and all the luxury features expected in modern cars aren't lightweight either.
I'm sure a 100USMPG car could be made, but it's likely to be either far too small, lacking in features and unsafe to be viable as a product, or far too expensive.
I live in Australia, where metric has been the official measuring system since the early 1970's. However, a lot of imperial measurements do unofficially live on.
:)
For example, you're more likely to hear the weight of a newborn baby in pounds/ounces than in kilograms, but for everyone else, it's always in kilograms. Height is more commonly expressed in feet/inches than centimetres, some lengths are more common in feet or inches (yes, like yer penis). Beer measurements are based on imperial (sometimes rounded to nearest metric units), as well.
The most common ones would be feet and inches, easier to say 2 feet than 60.96cm
A strange thing is, though, that although our CRT TVs are almost always measured in centimetres, our computer monitors and all LCD TVs and monitors are measured in inches.
I think there are two reasons why AM2 isn't enjoying the same popularity as 939 systems. 1) It doesn't offer a large performance increase over 939, so those with decent 939 setups aren't encouraged to upgrade (and those that are are prepared to spend the extra for C2D). However, I do believe that will be changed a little once AMD release their 65nm core (I think it's called Brisbane), and I do believe they'll tweak the memory controller for extra performance (advantage of having it on the die). 2) Conroe. Let's face it, for a high end system, it's virtually a no-brainer. I do think that for the low end machines, the AMD product is still superior to Netburst (I built an AM2 system for my parents a couple of months back), but Conroe has pretty much wrapped up the medium-high end desktop market. Will AMD get it back? I think it depends on whether AMD can release their 65nm product before Intel releases budget Conroe-based CPUs. Once Intel release Core-based CPUs for the low end, AMD will be in a bit more trouble, IMO.
Of course, once Apple release new iPod models, and the Christmas quarter hits, they'll be hot property again. I reckon it's a bit premature predicting the demise of the iPod this early.
They would have to control what advertisements are allowed in what textbook, otherwise, who knows what could end up in them? Imagine a church group advertising in an evolution textbook, for example...
It won't happen. Firstly, there isn't enough bandwidth for terminals (even basic X terminals) to work (remember how many people are still on dialup, and I can't get faster than my current 1.5Mbit ADSL). Secondly, modern computers are more than adequate for most users' needs (then again, many would get by with a P3 700). Thirdly, in the developed countries, standard PCs are cheap enough to not need these terminals, and in the developing countries, there's not going to be enough bandwidth for it to work at all. I just can't see why people would give up their PC for one.
I'm not certain that MS would switch off features in pirated versions of Windows, but what's to stop them from doing other things to non-legitimate versions? For example, the Aero interface on Vista could be disabled for non-genuine Windows versions, the maximum screen resolution could be 1024x768, only utilising one core on dualcore CPUs, etc. That seems much more likely than switching every PC off, I believe.
Until there's a law against going to the toilet during the commercials.