The Super Efficient Microsoft Enabled Vehicle... (1998)

> Subject: FW: $25 car
>
> At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the
> computer industry with the auto industry and stated: "If GM kept up with
> technology like the computer industry has, we would be driving $25 cars
> that got 1000 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 on the road, you would have to
> buy a new car.
>
> 3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason, and
> you would just accept this, restart and drive on.
>
> 4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause
> your car to shut down and refuse to start, in which case you would have
> to reinstall the engine.
>
> 5. Only one person at a time could use the car, unless you bought
> "Car95" or "CarNT". But then you would have to buy more seats.
>
> 6. Apple would make a car that was powered by the sun, reliable, five
> times as fast, and twice as easy to drive, but would only run on 5% of
> the roads.
>
> 7. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would be
> replaced by a single "general car default" warning light.
>
> 8. New seats would force everyone to have the same size butt.
>
> 9. The airbag system would say "Are you sure?" before deploying.
>
> 10. Occasionally for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out
> and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door
> handle, turn the key, and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
>
> 11. GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a deluxe set of
> Rand McNally road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even though they neither
> need them nor want them. Attempting to delete this option would
> immediately cause the car's performance to diminish by 50% or more.
> Moreover, GM would become a target for investigation by the Justice
> Department.
>
> 12. Every time GM introduced a new model, 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.
>
> 13. You'd press the "Start" button to shut off the engine.