For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on.
At a computer expo some years ago (COMDEX), it was Bill Gates who 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 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.”
In response to Gates’ 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:
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 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 per cent 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.
If you would like to submit a question or suggest a topic for future column consideration, please email your question to: info.vpcuc@gmail.com
The next meeting of the Vernon PC Users’ Club is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at the Schubert Centre.
We start off every meeting with a “TANSQ” session. Come see what we’re all about! If you have your own laptop, please bring it with you.
Call Betty at 250-542-7024 or Grace at 250-549-4318 for more information.