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 $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's 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
percent 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.
technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's 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
percent 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.
This version misses a couple good ones:
