Re: Camera Card Reader

HEMI-Powered wrote:
[]
One doesn't even have to choose Vista when buying a new PC IF the
OEM will install XP at extra cost. You're right about analog TV but
not that many people are really affected since so many have some
sort of cable or satellite service. But, to help the transition,
our gubmint will subsidize the changeover with coupons for two
converter boxes.

Little free help here, and many more people affected (although I don't know the percentage of non-direct TV viewers).

No, and sorry to bring back cars into the discussion again, but
people actually DO have the rather romantic notion that once
bought, they will NEVER have to actually "upgrade" their car beyond
things like recalls or required repairs. People believe that a car,
no matter how old, should start and run every day for hundreds of
thousands of miles often for a decade or two. How often, for
example, have you EVER had to pull over, shut your car off, and
"reboot" it? PCs, OTOH, require this nonsense all the time. And,
Windows produces many "critical updates" each and ever month yet my
cars only RARELY need to have one of the computer chips reflashed
to correct a defect.

Usually, the only time my PCs are rebooted is when I choose to install a security update.

There's a couple of reasons why this is so. The biggest one is that
the millions of lines of computer code in a modern car are within a
closed system, no need to support an infinite array of SW and HW.
Another is that safety and emissions laws require manufacturers to
very rigorously test cars under conditions so brutal as to defy
imagination. e.g., I've seen Chrysler's environmental chamber where
temps can be set from -80 deg F to +150 deg, it can be "sunny" and
hot or rainy or snowy or sleet or anything. Wind can range up to 80
mph and the "rain" can be blown against the car sideways. After
each of these tests, the car and ALL of it's components and systems
are still expected to work perfectly. Likewise, cars are bombarded
with a variety of EMF signals looking for anything that might
distupt the electronics. Finally, cars are tested at a proving
grounds for at least 100,000 miles and engines are tested on
dynomometers for the same cold-to-hot temp ranges I described above
plus a variety of fuels. Engines are both heat- and cold-soaked
overnight and then run up. During starts and run ups, emissions are
checked to ensure full compliance. Compare any of THAT to the test
suites of a typical O/S house or application developer!

I wonder what the cost of a modern car's electronics actually is, including the software development and testing costs, on a per vehicle basis? But there have been reported problems, particularly with the RF-driven car locks. Don't par in certain places if you want your car to start again! But I think that has imporoved recently.

Also, car makers are required in the US to provide replacement
parts, including all safety and emissions components, for a minimum
of 10 years and 100,000 miles. But, PCs can barely survive even one
new version of Windows without having to make major upgrades.
Again, cars are expected to start and run correctly and cleanly for
the entire 10 years/100,000 miles - in fact, longer than required
by law - WITHOUT any major component ugrades. Can anyone point to a
PC that can do the same, unless it is one that is entirely closed
with NO new things added?

I certainly have PC here which are that old and still capable of working - they run the original OS. Probably had to repalce a power-supply or hard disk, though. I'm sure someone will correct me, but I think that Microsoft support their OS for ten years from first release.

Likewise, manufacturers of about any "hard" commodities must also
design and test their products for ultra-long life cycles with NO
upgrades. People actually believe, for example, that their washers
and dryers will run for a couple of decades!

Which they probably did when they paid the prices of 20-30-40 years ago. I recently bought a new TV, and I was surprised by its low price, but as soon as I got to trying it out I could see why it was low priced. I now need to decide whether to send it back, and buy a better model at twice the price, or learn to live with the could of minor defects I have found (now on our second set of the same model, so I know they are design faults and not a faulty TV set).

Cheers,
David

.

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