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tesco
07-13-2005, 10:33 PM
Windows Automotive 5.0 out of the pits
Robert Jaques, vnunet.com 13 Jul 2005

Microsoft today unveiled Windows Automotive 5.0, the latest version of its operating system designed for in-vehicle computers running navigation, entertainment and communication systems.

Based on the real-time embedded Windows CE 5.0, Windows Automotive 5.0 has been designed to integrate with services offering real-time traffic updates, directions to the cheapest petrol in town, turn-by-turn navigation and more.

Windows Automotive 5.0 features enhancements including the Automotive User Interface Toolkit which enables the creation of 3D graphics and advanced navigation displays.

The platform's multimedia functions have been boosted with the addition of DirectShow which supports a variety of digital media including Windows Media Audio, MP3 and DVD.

Expanding virtual memory support to 96MB allows for larger and more sophisticated applications, such as improved speech recognition, better graphics and 3D navigation.

In addition Microsoft said that enhanced power management and faster cold-boot times have been added to the latest release.

The OS supports Bluetooth, 802.11, UPnP, USB, XML, Soap and other common connectivity standards.

"The release of Windows Automotive 5.0 marks an important step in the company's continued collaboration with the automotive industry," said Todd Warren, corporate vice president of the Devices, Services and eXperience group at Microsoft.

Windows Automotive 5.0 was co-developed by Microsoft teams in Redmond and Tokyo in an effort to meet the differing needs of the automotive industry worldwide.

http://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/images/news/news_source.gif Source: http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2139686/windows-automotive

Afronaut
07-14-2005, 10:00 AM
Here's teh CEO (http://www.killsometime.com/video/video.asp?video=Steve-Balmer).


http://www.funlol.com/content/img/mscar.jpg



Microsoft and GM


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 twenty-five dollar cars that got 1000 miles to the gallon." In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating (by Mr. Welch himself): 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 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 just 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." But then you would have to buy more seats.

6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, reliable, five times as fast, and twice as easy to drive, but would only run on five per cent of the roads.

7. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single "general car default" warning light.

8. New seats would force everyone to have the same size butt.

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 grab 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% or more. Moreover, GM would become a target for investigation by the Justice Department.

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.



Dont tell me you didnt see this coming!

:lol:

BawA
07-14-2005, 12:55 PM
hahhah, last one was funny
press start to shutdown.
but dont trucks have same start stop system, one button starts and stops the engine so do some new model cars.