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Microsoft Wireless Networking Hardware

Fiat Joins Microsoft in a Wireless Partnership 219

Posted by CowboyNeal from the hacked-cars-make-good-wardrivers dept.
bizpile writes "The AP is reporting that Microsoft and Fiat have gotten together to develop a system of wireless communications into Fiat's vehicles. The goal of the alliance, announced Thursday, is to create a flexible, easy-to-use telematics system (think OnStar from General Motors) for Fiat and its Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands sold in Europe, the companies said."
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Fiat Joins Microsoft in a Wireless Partnership More

Fiat Joins Microsoft in a Wireless Partnership

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  • Bluetooth and wireless (Score:4, Funny)

    by olderchurch ( 242469 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @07:54AM (#9714928) Homepage Journal
    Does this mean that I can hack away at somebodies car? I hope it has a bit more security then the usual Microsoft products. And do I need to run Windows Update every week if I have such a system in my car?
    • Last year Mercedes declined [tomshardware.com] to add bluetooth to any of their 2003 and 2004 models - so they should be safe, I guess. Fiat cars thus seem to be a bit more unsafe.. ;)
      • Bullshit, due to circumstances I happen to drive a 2004 Mercedes C200 CDI for 2 weeks, and I can tell you my mobile phone is quite at home in it's Bluetooth enviroment :)

        Back to On-Topic:
        And as my own car is a 2004 Alfa Romeo 156, I wish it had some integrated way of connecting my phone ... Too bad tho that what's going to be implemented into the newer models will come from Microsoft and have nothing to do with accessing the car from the outside for consumers, but merely allowing service people and the l

    • Re:Bluetooth and wireless (Score:5, Funny)

      by danormsby ( 529805 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:06AM (#9714975) Homepage
      If we hack it can we remote control it with "Remote Assistance" [microsoft.com]?

      I can imagine the phone call from my girlfriend already... "Dan, I'm trying to parallel park but can't do it in these shoes. Can you remote connect? My IP address is..."

  • Lovely.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by HiQ ( 159108 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @07:54AM (#9714930)
    Driving around on a hot summer day in your Fiat, with your Windows wide open......

    • Re:Lovely.... (Score:5, Informative)

      by Aranel ( 795463 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @07:59AM (#9714955)
      Fiat's electrics are reknowned for being dodgy at best (I own two so I should know ;o) ) . Imagine driving a car with Fiat electrics and MS comms...recipe for disaster?! :op --Sarah

      • Re:Lovely.... (Score:5, Informative)

        by HiQ ( 159108 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:06AM (#9714972)
        i've never owned a Fiat, but know some people who did. One of them complained that his windows would open all of themselves every now and then (when driving on a highway in winter). Another had Alfa Romeo (same concern I believe) which almost always blew it's headlights when you turned then on. So indeed, crappy electrical wiring...

        • Re:Lovely.... (Score:4, Funny)

          by Aranel ( 795463 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:12AM (#9715002)
          Fiat's rock. My Tipo used to regularly do 999MPH (it had an electronic dashboard). The Windows (no pun intended) wouldn't close unless someone was leaning on them. My coupe had dodgy wiring in the boot, so I got to be part of the mafia for the day and shut my mechanic in the boot :o) But if MS get involved....there's no way I'm buying another Fiat!!! Sarah
        • ... Fix It Again, Tony!

          It's only fitting that they partner up with MicroSoft.

        • Re:Lovely.... (Score:2, Informative)

          by c0p0n ( 770852 )
          I DO own a Fiat ( this one [fiat.com], Seicento SX).
          This car performs very well for such a small engine (non-diesel 1.1cc, 55HP), I never had an engine problem (45k kilometers so far), the electric system performs well, though I had to replace the default front lights (the short ones, dunno how to say that in english) due to low intensity. I have several extras: electric windows, centralized lock, ABS, AC, 2 airbags, mp3 radio car and so.
          I cannot speak about engine overheating, since it has no temp meter, but never
        • Well, my father is a long time fan of Italan cars. (not FIAT though)
          So i can tell you that Lacia has been known to do amazing stuff. The clock never worked from the day it was bought (brand new car) , the windows would work one day and not the other day. The Air conditioner was also picky on the day it should work too.
          Even the most expensive car of Alfa Romeo (Alpha 166) is flacky at best.

          For some reason , even though he recognizes these problems, he will still buy an Italian car when time comes to repla

        • Crappy wiring seems to be a corporate tradition at FIAT. My father's first car was a Fiat back in 1958 and I remember stories he told me about how the thing used to break down after a major rain or in winter because the electrical system failed. All thanks to poor quality cables and connectors which ceased to work if any traces of humidity appeared in the air.
      • Yes, every 10k's you'll have to get everyone out of the car and restart the journey.
      • Fiat = Fix it again, Tony

        Microsoft = BSODs

        It's a match made in heaven

      • Fiat's electrics are reknowned for being dodgy at best (I own two so I should know ;o) ) . Imagine driving a car with Fiat electrics and MS comms...recipe for disaster?! :op --Sarah

        What next, Lucas wiring? (note: this is not regarding some motion picture producer, but british auto fans would understand.)

        Too bad the name DODGE has already been taken.


    • Well, it would've been an interesting decision for Fiat. Do they sit around hoping someone else will offer to get them in the headlines, looking like they're doing something interesting, or do they take Microsoft up on their offer and risk endless Slashdot ridicule by partnering with them?

      I've heard little good said about Fiat or Microsoft. Maybe this is a case of some guy trying to pick up the ugly girl because there'd be less competition?

  • Welcome Pwn3d-Star (Score:5, Funny)

    by mfh ( 56 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @07:55AM (#9714931) Homepage Journal
    This Fiat/Microsoft article reminded me of an old gem:

    For the sake of argument, let's nickname this service Pwn3d-Star, so I guess this is your Fiat updated version!

    1. Every time the server-side software is upgraded, you'll have to buy a new car.

    2. When your Fiat dies on the freeway randomly, you can now be told by a Pwn3d-Star agent that you have to restart it. They would also say nice things and pepper MS branding through the whole conversation.

    3. If your car failed to restart after one weird maneuver (like backing up too quick), the new Pwn3d-Star agents will tell you that they will send a tow-truck to you for an extra surcharge, and that your engine will need to be replaced.

    4. You can now have more than one person in the car, but they will all need their own license to use Pwn3d-Star, even if they are dying on the road.

    5. Macintosh will not do this, but if they do, it will be 100x better and have a super-iPod built in. You'll be able to download music without leaving your car, which is great for many car geeks, although Fiats aren't that popular among car geeks.

    6. (this one didn't change) The oil, engine, gas and alternator warning lights would be replaced with a single "General Car Fault" warning light.

    7. (strangely this one didn't change either) People would get excited about the "new" features in Microsoft cars, forgetting completely that they had been available in other cars for many years.

    8. We will have to get Microsoft gas to run the vehicle, or a Pwn3d-Star agent will tell us that the gas we are purchasing is not Microsoft Certified, and we may be in violation of our warranty if we continue to use said gas.

    9. New seats will force everyone to have the same sized butt. Pwn3d-Star will warn you if someone's butt is too big or small.

    10. The airbags will now say "Are you sure?" before deploying. (pretty much the same as the original)

    11. If you were involved in a crash, you would have no idea what happened, but the Pwn3d-Star agent would tell you that techsupport is working on an explanation. Then you would get some excellent elevator music for about a half hour as you cling to life.

    • Re:Welcome Pwn3d-Star (Score:5, Funny)

      by Dogtanian ( 588974 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:03AM (#9714966) Homepage
      The oil, engine, gas and alternator warning lights would be replaced with a single "General Car Fault" warning light.

      Already been thought of! Courtesy of the Unix Fortune cookie program:-

      "Brian Kernighan has an automobile which he helped design. Unlike most automobiles, it has neither speedometer, nor gas gauge, nor any of the numerous idiot lights which plague the modern driver. Rather, if the driver makes any mistake, a giant "?" lights up in the center of the dashboard. "The experienced driver", he says, "will usually know what's wrong."
  • Well you know what to do when the vehicle crashes... Close all windows and try a restart.
    • But will they include the valuable Undo operation? For example, if you have an accident, just invoke undo until you are in a safe state again. Then just drive differently (take another route, wait until the dangerous situation is over, ...)

  • Hmm (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    A Fiat with WiFi sounds like a really crappy episode of Pimp My Ride.

  • How fitting (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16, 2004 @07:59AM (#9714952)
    In Germany FIAT stands for

    Für Italien ausreichende Technik
    (for Italy adequate technique)

    or

    Fehler in allen Teilen
    (Fault in all parts)

    No better partner than Microsoft.

    • Re:How fitting (Score:2, Funny)

      by Desval ( 219840 )
      I was under the impression that it was Italian for 'lawnmower'.

  • Obligatory (Score:4, Funny)

    by The-Bus ( 138060 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:01AM (#9714961)
    FIAT was "Fix It Again, Tony"

    Will they change it to RIAT? Reboot it again, Tony...

    Although Tony the Mechanic will have much less work to do. Hell, you can do it yourself.
    Roll down all the windows, then roll them all back up. Then turn off your car, wait 2 minutes, and turn it on again. Ta-da! Your problem is fixed.
    • "FIAT was "Fix It Again, Tony"

      Personally, I bought my FIAT when it was 13 years old, it's now coming up to 18, and it hasn't broken down once in that time. They may rust, but provided they're maintained properly they're pretty reliable... unlike the Rover I used to have which trashed its engine every 6,000 miles.

      • Rover 827 workshop manuals specify that the timing belt needs to be changed every 32,000 miles. Honda say that Honda Accord 2.7 V6 models need the timing belt changed every 25,000 miles. Guess how many of each car you find in the scrapyards with broken timing belts?

  • Telematics? or ipod/Symbian/Palm lockout? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Angostura ( 703910 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:04AM (#9714969)
    You look at the story, and think 'wireless telematics? (a) why? (b) eek, scary.'

    But in fact it appears this doesn't really have a lot to do with conventional auto telemetrics:

    From the arcticle:

    The Microsoft/Fiat system, expected to be available in vehicles next year, will be based on standard hardware and operate with Microsoft Windows Automotive software. Using the short-range digital wireless communications standard known as Bluetooth, it will allow motorists to integrate their cell phones and personal digital assistants with the onboard system.

    Drivers also will be able to access digital music stored in personal electronic devices through a USB connection in the dashboard, as well as other information."

    So what we have here is a way of ensuring that (presumably MS-based) music players and (presumably MS-based) PDAs will be able to link in.

    It's notable that they are planning to use USB for music (so no iPods).

    So in reality, not really as scary, or indeed as interesting/innovative as it could have been.
    • Realistically, anyone who has the discerning nature of an iPod buyer is never going to buy a new Fiat anyway. Their cars are cheap junk, a Microsoft partnership seems almost a perfect match....

      although given Fiat's history of electrical problems in all their modells, you'd never know for sure that it was a software fault that killed your audio feed.

      This isn't something to be worried about, its just another idea we geeks should warn friends and family not to buy into. That's a geek tradition of very l
    • Microsoft Windows Automotive Software [Solution] aka Windows ASS

      Driver: -comes across some pretty eratic traffic-

      Driver: Presses brake pedal once

      Driver: Presses Brake pedal twice

      Driver: makes a quick left turn

      Driver: Presses brake pedal a third time

      -Brakes do not engage this time-

      Herbie (the new Automotive assistant): it seems you are trying to evade a road hazard, would you like to enable the road hazard Wizard?

      -driver presses the yes button on his steering wheel-

      Herbie: Windows ASS has severa

    • Reminds me of an article in Schneier's Crypto-Gram [schneier.com]:

      I tried to argue the point, but eventually gave up. Then I said something like: "I can hardly wait for Bluetooth to become universal, because I really want a wireless keyboard and mouse with the "base station" built into my computer." He said: "Yes, but you really probably don't want to use Bluetooth for that, because then somebody could stuff keystrokes or mouse clicks into your system." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Talk about not getting it.

    • USB and Bluetooth just to talk to your car radio? Give me a break.

      My $15 "Road Gear" radio from Walmart does better. On the front, it has a simple headphone style in jack, so that the amp can be used by anything that has a headphone output. When you consider that it would be best to have a wire going to your device to keep it charged, why would you want a wireless interface or go through all the trouble of USB. All you want the dash unit to do is drive your speakers.

      M$ and "standard" don't belong in t

  • Fiat Auto is a company in trouble (Score:4, Interesting)

    by bojanb ( 162938 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:08AM (#9714984)
    And not because of Microsoft (yet). The article states that they are hoping to halve their operating losses to 500 million euros this year. Which means their loss in 2003 was (gasp!) 1 billion euros. Which I guess is why Microsoft was able to 'partner' with them. Fiat gets the technology for free, and Microsoft gains an entry into the market.
    And the technology is nothing revolutionary. It's basically a Bluetooth connection to "integrate cell phones and PDAs with the onboard system" (??) and an USB connection so you can play your iPod music on the car's audio system.
    • In Germany there's a joke that FIAT is an acronym for "Fehler In Allen Teilen" - or "Faults In All Parts" in English. Their cars are not exactly famous for reliability.

      So methinks they'll make an ideal partner company for Microsoft :-)

    • "Getting Microsoft technology for free" does not adequately express what's happening.

      Fiat are obtaining poor technology with a doubtful future and with pretty nasty strings attached. They'd have done far better by bringing in either an open-source technology integrator (there are many) or joining the Symbian club of mobile device manufacturers. Instead, now they have all their eggs in the same iffy basket, and it's pretty easy to see that some of them have already broken and are starting to smell. Micro

  • GM didn't make Onstar (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:09AM (#9714987)
    Despite what you may think, Onstar is not a General Motors product. It was simply their idea, which they then outsourced to none other than Motorola. Although most people don't know it, Onstar is completely built, designed and tested by Motorola. The only part of Onstar they don't run is the call center.

  • Sure there'll be lots of jokes, but... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Aphrika ( 756248 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:13AM (#9715008)
    Look at it a different way; Microsoft is a billions of dollars a year company that wants to try out something new. They have the clout and (some might argue this) the expertise to try it.

    New markets, new areas like this will have a lot of problems that need to be solved, and although we love to hate them, MS's millions being injected into this will be a good thing, make other people sit up and take notice and - most importantly - improve on it.
    • ...and I'm sure it's just a slight coincidence that Apple announced that BMW is integrated iPod connectors into new models as a dealer-installed option. Hmmm...BMW vs Fiat...Apple vs Microsoft. I really can't understand why anyone thinks there's a decision to make there.

  • Ferrari and Formula 1 (Score:3, Funny)

    by senaattori ( 730352 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:15AM (#9715018)
    This is good news for Formula 1 fans. Ferrari (a part of Fiat Group) is doing great in Formula 1. So great, that they have made Formula 1 very very boring for spectators. Everybody knows in advance that Ferrari wins every GP. The biggest advantage of Ferrari is its reliability. But not for long. Not after this.
    • F1 cars don't run windows. They run very specialized very specific software that has to be inspected and approved by the FIA. I can pretty much guarantee that neither Windows or Linux will ever run on a Formula Machine.

      Also, the fact that Ferrari wins every time shows how true a sport F1 is. The idea of a competition is to determine who is the best at a particular sport. But if you look at something like Baseball or Football there are too many other factors. If the best team plays the worst team the worst

    • Don't forget that GM also owns a percentage of FIAT.

      Now we can cite "If GM cars use windows"

  • this time, they are going to do car business. once they win the compitition, what is giong to happen, something similar to Internet Explorer? just hope they are not going to win... but I mean, with Microsoft's reputation who would want to buy the car that equiped with anything that is Microsoft? maybe I am just worrying too much.

  • A list of desirable exclusions (Score:4, Informative)

    by syrinje ( 781614 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:17AM (#9715023)
    Since I trust Microsoft products to function flawlesly and reliably here is a list of the functionality that I would like excluded from the purview of this telematic system -

    1. ABS
    2. Fuel Injection
    3. Engine timing
    4. Automatic Transmission (or ratios in stick models)
    5. Airbag deployment
    6. Cruise control
    7. Door locks
    And before you mod me down for being a paranoid tinfoil-hatted troll read about the Phillipine minister who was trapped in his BMW [thaivisa.com] that refused to unlock and let him out? The HAL-in-a-car was very likely a Microsoft Telematic system [microsoft.com].

    They can mess all they want with the radio - I'll be switching it off listening to my iPoD anyway :)

    • Actually, I'd mod you down for not apparently reading the article - the system as envisaged won't be going anywhere near the critical systems you list (well, intentionally anyway). And your iPod won't plug into it.
      • I know the article said this will augment "existing audio and electronic systems" in the vehicle. I wouldnt bet a whole lot on their ability to execute to this spec without touching any of the rest of the onboard computer systems (which is usually ONE modular package sitting behind the dash or under the roof).

        Interesting tid-bit: CDMA phones do play havoc with the cruise control in some cars. A car on cruise will accelarate, BY ITSELF, when the Paging message goes out to the mobile handset. Doesnt seem li

        • onboard computer systems (which is usually ONE modular package sitting behind the dash or under the roof)

          Not any more! Nowadays cars can have multiple "brain boxes" scattered all over the place. My Prius (which is admittedly a bit more geekular than most vehicles) has more than 50 intelligent nodes on the internal network, and uses at least three separate networking protocols.

          Auto builders are moving towards distributed control systems to save on wiring; if you run everything from a single master c

      • "won't be going anywhere near the critical systems you list"

        Yet! Since when has MS ever stopped short of trying to corner a whole market if at all possible? Windows for Vehicles might be a bit of a gag now but don't bet it won't ever happen since car ECUs are just another embedded system and MS already have WinNT embedded to play with.

      • Re:A list of desirable exclusions (Score:4, Funny)

        by internic ( 453511 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @11:06AM (#9716300)

        On slashdot in 2005: "A new worm has emerged that exploits the URI handler vulnerability in Microsoft onboard sotware and passes instructions directly to systems controlling vital functions."

        ;-)

  • Why the HELL would anyone want wireless communication in his car? Even better, why the hell from Microsoft, a company known for its appaling security record? MS products on computers I can imagine. I'd rather have my PC cracked at home instead of my Fiat's internal systems cracked on the highway.

  • Fiat and Windows.

    Any one of those is a disaster in itself - now mix them and add wireless.

    Uhh.... Scary.

  • No, I don't need a car with lots of complex things inside. I want a car that works reliable and that allows me to fix simple "bugs" by myself. But today a car mechanican needs more to be a computer operator than a wrench operator.

    Every complex piece of hard or software that is not there can't break. Actually German newstickers have a story about BMW that has to call back a lot of cars to the factory because a fault in the on board electronics can cause a loss of steering or breaking power.

    Now just imagi

    • Re:Cars and Complexity (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Aranel ( 795463 )
      In the case of a crash I don't want an stupid clip to appear and ask me if I want that the airbag is released. I've actually seen quite a few crashed Fiats (quite a few nasty ones), and I've only seen one where the airbag has actually gone off. Maybe MS might be able to do something useful and actually *make* the airbags go off when the car crashes (although knowing MS, the airbags would probably go off at will, while you are driving down the motorway)
    • Not unlike computers. Once upon a time, operating systems were very simple, and worked very reliably.

      And I don't have a problem with lots of individual computers doing things for non-essential purposes like sat nav. Engine management systems also use them.

      But, there's a lot of stuff that is in cars that I don't want because it's gimmicky and unneccessary. Some cars now have automatic lights and wipers. Thanks, but I know when it's dark, and raining. A computer just adds the possibility of no lights, no

  • bleh (Score:4, Funny)

    by Killshot ( 724273 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:23AM (#9715045) Homepage
    I am sick of all this crap microsoft is doing, when are they going to get their sh*t together and put out a REAL product, like some sort of breakfast cereal, with little marshmallow bill gates heads. yum
  • Since 95% of all problems on a Windows OS are fixed with a reboot, and since I'm just going to hazard a guess that their OS will have to reboot every time the car is stopped and started, then if there's a problem, it really only lasts till they park and leave the vehicle...

    ...of course that would be the case regardless, I suppose, but one would hope when they come back that the issue is resolved. Since most people never bother to think of rebooting, despite having tech support tell them the last 10 FREAKI
  • I can't believe they dared annouce this so soon after Apple's ipod your BMW [apple.com] link-up.

    Apple went with a suave, sophisticated company with a reputation for engineering, quality, hi-tech but controversial design, and high prices.

    Microsoft went for a monopolistic company with a reputation for bad electrics, bad security, and a history of dodgy dealings with their government.

    Too.... many .... jokes....!
  • This worries me - I really like FIATs and to date I've never owned or wanted to own a car built by another company - I've driven plenty, I just keep coming back to FIAT, partly because (in my personal experience) they're very reliable.

    At this point those of you laughing and rushing to regurgite the "Fix It Again Tony" quips from the 70s might want to check your facts against the reliability index [reliabilityindex.co.uk] for some of the company's recent models - as an individual model my current car [reliabilityindex.co.uk] (built in 2001) scores better

  • Car Activation! (Score:4, Funny)

    by hotbutteredhtml ( 613549 ) on Friday July 16, 2004 @08:52AM (#9715142)
    So does the car cease to function after 30 days if you fail to activate it?
    • Is any antivirus program included in the FIAT package or that's a separate deal any FIAT dealer will throw in to entice? Do I get to download my own choice? Do I get a discount for that?

      I'm telling you all these questions again and all this uncertainty so early in the morning...

      Where is my coffee... aaahh here it is... I feel better now...
  • Fiat doesn't market their products here any more! Before seeing this article I always thought they had gone out of business about 20 years ago!
  • "Just imagine the synergy between these titans of reliability!"

  • From Merriam-Webster:

    fiat:
    1. : a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort
    2. : an authoritative determination : DICTATE (a fiat of conscience)
    3. : an authoritative or arbitrary order : DECREE (government by fiat)

    Sounds like a perfect match for Microsoft.
  • That's a good alliance. Alfa Romeo owners should already be used to constantly taking their cars in for repair...
  • BMW chose Siemens and Java.

    But then Ford and GM have chosen Java as well.

    Those crazy Italians and their wacky ways. You've almost got to admire a group of people who say "With our standard of excellence in wiring and electronics, who should we get to do the software".

    Oh and the BMW/SiemensVDO link up is real, not just a strategy.
  • I'm sure the CEO of Sendo will tell you it's not always safe to dance with Microsoft.

    http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/s tory/0,10801,77242,00.html [computerworld.com]
    • I don't see why ANY company would agree to deal with Microsoft anymore. The trail of bodies stretches all the way back to the QDOS guy.

      Perhaps these people deal with them thinking they can "handle" Microsoft? Or think that it won't be in Microsoft's interest to stab them in the back? I guess some don't realize that Microsoft is, at most, inconvenienced by the law. They sure as hell aren't subject to it.
  • Piat: Patch It Again Tomorrow

  • FIAT has already been wireless for quite a long time.
    Anybody who tried to start a Duna [fiatduna.com] knows.
    As we say in Italy: La FIAT di cazzate ne ha fatte più Duna.

    For foreigners: the FIAT Duna is by far the crappiest car ever to exit Turin's assembly line (or the world's for that sake). Its ultra-low quality gave her a special status as the crappy car par excellence.

  • And Microsoft partners with Fiat. Wow, Microsoft is just ... lame.
  • Actually, it'll add to the character of the cars. I remember with fondness how I had to turn on the headlights in order to get the cigarette lighter to work. Some of you have forgotten the other FIAT acronyms, which fit well with this story...

    Fix It Again Tomorrow
    Feeble Italian Attempt at Technology (now: Feeble Italian/American Technology)
    Fix It All the Time
    Found In A Trench
    Failure in Automotive Technology
    Fired Idiot Assembled This

    If you confuse this with flamebait, then you're clearly not an American w

  • Oh no... (Score:2, Funny)

    by bushda ( 460996 )
    Take the world's most unreliable operating system, combine it with a manufacturer who's name is rumored to be short for "Fix It Again Tony", and what do you get? Probably the fabled car with the hood welded shut that Open Source fans (like myself) have talked about for years.

    Congrats to Microsoft and Fiat - I was wondering who'd finally build a replacement for the Yugo...
  • I have been waiting for This Prophecy [wisc.edu] to come to pass for some time! At last the world of Microsoft cars is upon us!
  • Think of all the crashes!
  • MSNBC: Money pit
    MSN/Hotmail: Money pit
    XBOX: HUGE money pit
    Fiat: ???
    Profit!

    I predit they're going to market this thing to the moon and back, and people will buy it, but it will only gain MSFT a few more red numbers. They're just probing for a new market. Nothing special. Maybe they CHOSE Fiat because they want to give people "the affordable OnStar". At least in the auto industry they can't pull stunts like they have with software. They can't just throw the beta into the cars and expect people to accept it.
  • Are there any examples of companies not being screwed by Microsoft when they agree to work together?

    The well known examples of Microsoft screwing business partners:

    IBM with OS/2
    Spyglass with Mosaic
    Sendo, which accused Microsoft of terminating their partnership so it could steal Sendo's technology to use in Windows Smartphone 2002
  • Fix It Again, Tony!
    What an appropriate partnership!
  • reputation (Fix It Again, Tony).

    Hey, here is another patch for you, Tony.

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