-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Hardware vs Software
Date: Fri, 14 May 1999 08:21:10 -0400
From: "Joseph P. Tressler" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Organization: Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A.
To: Rick Clark <[log in to unmask]>,
[log in to unmask],[log in to unmask], "Fred F. Owen"
<[log in to unmask]>,Phil Feltman <[log in to unmask]>,Joe Muttillo
<[log in to unmask]>,Bob Tressler <[log in to unmask]>
Software VS Hardware
MICROSOFT SHOULD MAKE CARS, GM SHOULD MAKE SOFTWARE.
At a recent computer expo, 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 twenty-five dollar cars that got
1000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's comments/General Motors issued a press
release stating the following: "If GM had developed technology
like Microsoft, we would be driving cars with the following
characteristics:
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a
day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines on the road, you would
have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally, your car would die on the freeway for no
reason, and you would accept this, restart, and drive on.
4. Occasionally, executing 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 engine.
5. Only one person at a time could use the car, unless you
bought 'Car95' or 'CarNT.' Then you would have to buy
more seats.
6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun,
was more reliable, five times as fast, and twice as easy
to drive, but would only run on five percent of the roads.
7. The oil, water, temperature and alternator warning lights
would be replaced by a single 'general car fault' warning
light.
8. New seats would force everyone to have the same butt
size.
9. The airbag system would say 'Are you sure?' before going
off.
10. 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 antenna.
11. GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a
deluxe set of Rand McNally road maps (now a GM subsidiary),
even though they neither need them nor want them. Attempting
to delete this option would immediately cause the car's
performance to diminish by 50 per cent or more.
12. Every time GM introduced a new model, 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
car.
13. You'd press the 'Start' button to shut off the engine.
--
Joseph Tressler
Network Administrator
Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A.
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