This was given to me way back during the release of Microsoft's new OS, Vista. I just found it a couple days ago (I thought it was lost during my move from Connecticut). My Physics teacher always liked to start class with current events and the like, so he gave us a print out of something he found on the 'net.
Now is where my own words stop and the words of whomever it was that wrote this being. Basically what's in bold isn't mine.Gates vs. GM
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." 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: 1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash... twice a day2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car3. 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 this4. Occasionally, execution a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine5. 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 only run on five percent of the roads.6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed and Illegal Operation" warning light7. The airbag system would ask, "Are You Sure?" before deploying8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed hold of the radio antenna9. Every time a new car was introduced, car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off
Now is where my own words stop and the words of whomever it was that wrote this being. Basically what's in bold isn't mine.Gates vs. GM
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." 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: 1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash... twice a day2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car3. 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 this4. Occasionally, execution a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine5. 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 only run on five percent of the roads.6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed and Illegal Operation" warning light7. The airbag system would ask, "Are You Sure?" before deploying8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed hold of the radio antenna9. Every time a new car was introduced, car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off
Okay, back to me speaking -- er, writing.
I imagine that if this were to happen sometime, in the far far far far x infinity future, anybody would completely and utterly hate driving. I think it'd be easier to use a computer with those "problems" than it would be to drive a car like that... especially if it shuts down if you steer wrong or deploys the airbags only after you give your consent. Uh... you'd be dead or seriously wounded before you could scream 'YES!' at the top of your lungs. But hopefully your car would also have a menu or check off list somewhere in the glove compartment where you can shut off features like that.
Let's just hope that General Motors or Microsoft never do decide to buy the other out. However, having a security feature like Vista does that pops up after you do pretty much ANYTHING would be sweet only if, and ONLY IF, something pops up on the windshield or wherever they'd choose to put it when thieves try to get into your car. It would freeze them so they can't do anything until you hear the alarm and run to the scene. It'll be like "An unnauthorized action is being performed on your car... do you wish to let it continue?" Since it'll keep the thief frozen, you'll have enought time to get your bat/golf clubs/racket... or your AK-47 and deal a decent amount of justice.NOTE: Actually I don't have an AK-47 and I'm generally opposed to guns... a kid in my last semester storytelling class does though. I would seriously not mess with him.
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