Re:Software made me loathe my car
by gregmac on Thursday August 29, 2019 @11:36PM
(#20835794)
Cars have the same problem many other "smart" products have such as TVs and refrigerators: the technology lifecycle is significantly faster than the overall objects lifecycle.
It's not unreasonable to expect a fridge or TV to last 10 or 15 years. Yet, if it's "smart", and had a top-of-the-line processor put in it 10 years ago, today it would be equivalent to running an iPhone 3G. More likely, it was in development for a couple years, and was based on a cheaper/lower-end/older processor.
Cars have the same problem, but with the non-tech part being 5 digits $$$ instead of 3 or 4.
I think part of the problem is the manufacturers would rather you replace the entire thing (because the processor is outdated). Someone buying a new fridge every 3 years (instead of every 10-15) because theirs won't run the latest apps is great for them.
With cars, Android Auto and CarPlay have so far saved consumers from that nightmare.
It's not unreasonable to expect a fridge or TV to last 10 or 15 years. Yet, if it's "smart", and had a top-of-the-line processor put in it 10 years ago, today it would be equivalent to running an iPhone 3G. More likely, it was in development for a couple years, and was based on a cheaper/lower-end/older processor.
Cars have the same problem, but with the non-tech part being 5 digits $$$ instead of 3 or 4.
I think part of the problem is the manufacturers would rather you replace the entire thing (because the processor is outdated). Someone buying a new fridge every 3 years (instead of every 10-15) because theirs won't run the latest apps is great for them.
With cars, Android Auto and CarPlay have so far saved consumers from that nightmare.