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 (and I
just love this part):
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash
twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road,
you would have to buy a
new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for
no reason. You would
have to pull over 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 this.
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. 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 run on only 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 An
Illegal Operation" warning
light.
7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before
deploying.
8. 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.
9. 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 car.
10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the
engine off.
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 (and I
just love this part):
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash
twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road,
you would have to buy a
new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for
no reason. You would
have to pull over 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 this.
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. 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 run on only 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 An
Illegal Operation" warning
light.
7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before
deploying.
8. 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.
9. 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 car.
10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the
engine off.