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Originally Posted by G-Benz
Hmmm...can't go to Walmart anymore for a battery?  |
I think there's been talk of cars going to 40V for some years now, it's not Mercedes.
Like I said in the other thread, I don't think computers are a problem in cars. Computers don't go wrong, they are just badly programmed.
We all have computers, they work most of the time and you don't need a NASA technician to fix them, just a grandson
. Well OK they go odd occasionally but windows does a hell of a lot.. start installing 3rd party software and compatability issues are bound to arise.
Other computers such as mobile phones, digital TV receivers and even stereo systems are as reliable as a car, and this is about the level of car electronics.
Computers should add loads of extra features for those that like 'meddling' (like us) and are hidden away under the seat in a box you'd never need to open for the rest of people who don't care.
An important point is the cost. Micochips/computer parts are extraordinarily cheap (you can build a very powerful computer for $350), in theory these should be cheap in the cars too. No car in the next 5 years will need more processor power than a $100 Pentium 4. Less pipes, valves and hoses to go wrong and just these cheapo chips should be nice, but I suspect there'll be a reasonable mark-up from the manufacturer.
I only see the programming & interfacing with mechanical bits as problematic... a 'lamp defective' circuit is great, but not if you've designed it so it goes mental at a minor wattage difference or occasional, brief short or all the sorts of things mechanical bits experience and computers dont (W210 I'm looking in your direction! Stand in the corner, face the wall...
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What I DO hate is when a computer is controlling what YOU want to be controlling: I want to change gear when I shift the tiptronic button, not when the computer thinks I should
and that is a simple matter of how the company feels on the day. BMW are better for letting you do what you want (eg you can disable their stability control).
Russ