January 25, 2007

Windows Automotive 5.0

It’s a Hummer of a deal…

By Rick Dexter
Special to the Times

For years, there has been a joke floating around cyberspace that is a spoof on cars developed with Microsoft technology. The joke is titled “If Microsoft Made Cars” and was supposedly a press release issued by GM in response to a comment Bill Gates made about the automobile industry. It talked about Microsoft cars that had to be restarted at random, crashed a lot, and licensed by the seat. You get the idea. Now, GM never really issued such a press release, but I think the joke gave Bill Gates an idea.

The most important semiconductor trade show took place in San Francisco last week, and many companies showcased equipment with functions that the vast majority of us couldn’t understand. Although a bit out of place given the show focus, there was also a popular exhibit from software giant Microsoft: a Hummer H2 SUV run by Microsoft Windows.

Goosebumps would be appropriate right now.

To be accurate, the car itself wasn’t actually run by Windows (whew!). This Hummer was equipped with screens in virtually every seat, and contained an on-board computer system powered by Windows Automotive 5.0, a newly announced initiative by Microsoft that is intended to ensure that Windows is installed in every car in the world. A human could speak to the car and ask questions from “where am I?” to “where is the cheapest gas station close to me?” The computer would respond on the driver’s monitor with maps and other information.

This particular HumVee was even equipped with a full time satellite Internet connection and a voice controlled browser that surf-aholics would die for. X-Box gaming technology could be piped to the monitors in the rear seats to keep your kids occupied on those long trips. As you would expect, the Microsoft system takes mapping and GPS technology to a new level by adding voice control and Internet integration within the car. Investors can watch their stock portfolios in real-time while driving to the grocery store. Another natural fit for Windows Automotive is playing digital media, with the ability to stream MP3s, DVD movies, and Internet radio to any location in the car.

Since the system is Windows-based, basic business functions like e-mail also come along for the ride (pun intended). Add the satellite Internet link with voice over Internet protocol, and you have a fully functioning remote office that can be used virtually anywhere, including the backwoods. Wealthy business owners and execs should be foaming at the mouth about now. The rest of us will have to wait for the Honda.

If you want one, give me a call. I’ll work cheap.

Rick Dexter, founder and CEO of NDYNAMICS Network Professionals in Campbell, lives in Almaden. Dexter has over 25 years of experience designing and supporting computer networks, particularly for small businesses and startups seeking reliable and scalable IT infrastructure. If you have a computer question that you would like to have answered in a future column, e-mail it to computerconnection@ndynamics.com.