The Pebble and the Avalanche

Moshe Thumbnail
Current Revolutions in Business and Technology

by Dr. Moshe Yudkowsky,

author of The Pebble and The Avalanche: How Taking Things Apart Creates Revolutions

 

Mon, 2009-Dec-21, 08:26

Story Marker
Ford and the Car Computer

Some time ago — in the pre-iPhone era, no less — I was asked on two separate occasions for an idea for an automotive product. In both cases my response was the same: an iPhone-style computer for cars, one that can accept clever applications from anywhere. Neither company took my advice.

I see that Ford has implemented this idea with an in-car computer. I can't quite determine if the computer is in production from the news articles, and certainly it does not seem to have the world on fire just yet. (In a remarkably annoying blunder that also keeps search engines away, Ford's home page is completely dependent on Flash, which means I won't bother accessing the Ford web site; I'm left to wonder how software developers will be enticed into working with Ford.) I personally don't hold out high hopes for this computer because it depends on a Microsoft operating system: to my mind this means lack of security, bloated software, bugs, and annoying applications.

Still, I admit that it's nice to be vindicated, and I look forward to the next release of this style of computer, perhaps something that runs on Linus or the Android operating system.

Comments are temporarily disabled while we work on anti-spam measures.

Trackbacks are closed for this story.

[ 1 ]