In message <[log in to unmask]>, Greg Cagle
<[log in to unmask]> writes
> Wirt Atmar wrote:
>>
>> German luxury automobile maker BMW rolled out its new 7 Series line of cars
>> last year with arguably the industry's most advanced telematics, or car
>> computing systems, that also use Microsoft's software.
>>
>> Using a central knob, drivers can control the BMW's navigation, climate and
>> entertainment systems through a display built into the dashboard.
>
>Audi has just come out with a similar system. According to a
>spokesperson, it runs "some form of Unix." BMW's i-drive runs Windows
>CE.
>
>- Greg (BMW owner, not a 7-series, though)

There's quite enough software in BMWs already. I was driving away from
an appointment when I noticed that nothing was working on the dashboard
- no tacho, no speedo, no petrol gauge, no mpg indicator (that's miles
per gallon, not compressed audio) - all analogue dials - no on-board
computer, no indicator lights, no nothing.

I pulled off into a service station, switched everything off, restarted
the car - still nothing. Got out, locked it, unlocked it, tried again -
still nothing.

I felt like I was in that 'if Microsoft built cars' joke.

Called the dealer - 'Ah', he said, 'we've seen that. Leave it for eleven
minutes, and it will probably reset itself.'

So I went and had a cup of coffee. And it did reset itself, and it was
OK after that. Of course, when I took it into the dealer the next day,
it hadn't logged a damn thing on the internal fault computer :-(

But eleven minutes! Don't anybody give Bill that idea, now, will you?

--
Roy Brown        'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be
Kelmscott Ltd     useful, or believe to be beautiful'  Wm Morris

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