GM vs MS
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 1,000 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:
- For no reason whatsoever your car would
crash twice a day.
- Every time they painted new lines on the
road you would have to buy a new car.
- Occasionally your car would die on the
freeway for no reason, and you would just
accept this, restart and drive on.
- Occasionally, executing a manoeuvre 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.
- 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.
- 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 percent of the roads.
- The oil, water temperature and alternator
warning lights would be replaced by a single
"general car default" warning light.
- New seats would force everyone to have the
same size butt.
- The airbag system would say "Are you sure?"
before going off.
- 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.
- GM would also 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.
- 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.
- You'd press the "start" button to shut off the engine.