Date: 18 Feb 2003 21:15:45 GMT From: davehinznopsamcop.net Subject: Re: BMWs keep trying to smoke me!
Someone who looks an awful lot like Fred W. <Fred.Willsnopsamammyrealbox.com> wrote: > <davehinznopsamcop.net> wrote in message > news:b2u42j$1glhpi$1nopsam34476.news.dfncis.de... >> >> I mean, fuel pump, brake lights, transmission shift control, telephone, >> radio, window controls (the glass kind)...all of these things work just >> fine when run normally; adding computer control to them is a very >> puzzling thing for them to have done. Why, specifically, should the >> brake lights be dependant on a computer? That's got to be one of the >> most critical safety elements of a vehicle, guys. > That's not what i-drive does. It doesn't run the fuel pump or brake lights. > It just takes the place of all of the knobs that would normally be on the > dashboard (on any intelligently designed car). Hm, http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,3959,833532,00.asp and the article at slashdot seem to indicate otherwise. Perhaps it's *a* computer but not the i-drive computer controlling them? In any case, it's an inappropriate use of technology which is proving to be a problem. >> Ahem. Sorry for the rant, it's just so surprising that a company with >> a reputation for good engineering would do such a thing. Someone got >> blinded by the techie-nifty flashy stuff, and suspended their logical >> thinking. > I agree. I-drive is an abomination. It has no place in a car. It is > counterproductive. It will (eventually) hurt sales and they will remove it. > I hope no other manufacturers bother to attempt it. Agreed. I have to admit, though, that some of the videos are pretty amusing. Dave Hinz