RE: Engine Electronics

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>]

> What you are really forecasting is that the ECU will morph
> somehow into a GP
> computer, a la a Wintel standard or equivalent. I don't mean to imply that
> the computer would have an architecture like a Wintel or Mac or Sun, but
> would be an industry standard. That is unlikely, IMHO, because the
> manufacturers prefer a proprietary system, as the system price, and
> therefore profits,  can be sustained at a high level (priced an ECU for a
> high volume US car lately?). It is somewhat conceivable that a third party
> could do this, but it would have to be somebody with the deep pockets of
> MicroSoft, and the manufacturers would get their lawyers out
> subito to fight

I don't see why Microsoft wouldn't be very interested in providing this
function, or why the auto manufacturers would be opposed to it.

You're assuming that the only function of the computer in a car is to
perform tasks related to running the automobile.  There are plenty of other
things for a general purpose computer to do - GPS, entertainment, etc.

bs

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