On Thu, Oct 17, 2002 at 08:38:23AM -0400, Shawn McMahon wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 16, 2002 at 07:32:27PM -0400, Anthony DeRobertis said:
> >
> > There would be one brand of car control system that would have
> > approximately 90% of the market share. It would often simply stop
> > working --- or start working very erratically --- until one turned off
> > the car and turned it on again. Cars using this control system would
>
> [gargargar snipped]
>
> Whereas if cars were like Linux, there would be no car dealers; you
> would be required to either buy all the parts via mail order and
> assemble the car yourself, or obtain a completed car directly from the
> manufacturer in North Carolina or from a friend who could produce a copy
> of his car with the push of a button.
Oh come on, we can do better:
There would be 166 manufacturers offering the same car in various shapes
and sizes: you would not be able to buy a Linux motorbike but instead a
very thin, low car to sit on. You could also get the parts via mail-order
or from a friend, and assemble them yourself. You could even buy an
automatically self-assembling kit.
> It would have no steering wheel; instead, there would be fifteen pedals
> which, when worked in the proper combination, would control
> accelleration, decelleration, and steering. However, you could obtain
> any of several different third-party steering wheels, each of which
> worked completely differently and did not come with a full set of
> instructions. If you asked another car owner how to work your steering
> wheel, he'd make fun of you and tell you to RTFOM.
It would have many types of third-party steering wheel to choose from,
and also a choice of manual transmission or automatic; but in addition
there would be paddles and levers, buttons and switches which could also
be used to steer the car. Some of these controls would be labelled in
several languages, while others would not be labelled at all. And there
would be convenient openings so you could reach the engine to control
the throttle manually. Very little of this would be documented in the
car manual but you would be able to order more documentation than you
could read. Some Linux car drivers would be impatient or smug, and tell
newbies to RTFOM.
> The car would work very reliably, but it would have no back seat and no
> trunk. If you complained about this, you'd be told to build your own
> back seat and/or trunk or stop complaining. It would have a very
(nice one!)
Two projects would spring up to build back seats and trunks, convertible
back seats, trunks to sit in, and a fish bowl. A major manufacturer
would announce his back seat and trunk to be available for the Linux car.
> powerful radio that could pick up AM, satellite, TV, and most ham bands,
> but could not pick up FM. There would be no FM radio available for it;
> you'd have to purchase the Microsoft car and tow it on a trailer, using
> it's FM radio and piping the sound through yours.
And someone would set up a FM-to-satellite bridge but people would complain
about the quality.
> The length of time your engine had been left running would, for some
> reason, be considered a sign of manliness.
(nice one as well)
Cheers
Florian
--
V(Dijkstra)
-- In Memoriam Edsger Wybe Dijkstra: 1930-2002
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