[Tomguy]

How many people have Xbox 360s? Tons. They run an NT kernel (Windows), but most people don't know that. It isn't WIndows like your desktop PC at all. It's a heavily-modified version, but the kernel is NTOS-based. How many hours of gameplay do you get on an Xbox 360 before it crashes due to the OS (*and not a game bug or console overheating on the older ones)? Not very often, if ever.

MS can make a very stable OS if given the right requirements and hardware. PCs are a hodgepodge of parts slapped together that require third party drivers... something Apple doesn't need to deal with. That having been said, my 5+ year old hodgepodge PC still never crashes or bluescreens despite running 24/7/365... I always try to get the right hardware!

I wouldn't be putting the fear of Sergio into everyone so quickly. If the program's goals are to be as (or more) stable than the current systems, while being faster and easier to use, then the systems will continue to win every award under the sun possible. You can't advance by standing still and if the QNX support or OS is not evolving at the pace or direction needed, a change is made before it turns into a Zune!!

 

[LoganSix]

I wouldn't be putting the fear of Sergio into everyone so quickly. If the program's goals are to be as (or more) stable than the current systems, while being faster and easier to use, then the systems will continue to win every award under the sun possible. You can't advance by standing still and if the QNX support or OS is not evolving at the pace or direction needed, a change is made before it turns into a Zune!!

QNX is keeping up and continuing to improve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMAPGNz8pcM

And the systems that use it are still rated higher than the Windows systems
GM steady profit with OnStar


This smells more like Microsoft trying to buy their way onto some more platforms or some sort of corporate politics.

Another video of the QNX Car 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl_uVHg_SSs

 

[gezco]

If folks would stop thinking that Windows Automotive is the exact same Windows one runs on their home PC, maybe that would help.

I get what you’re saying, but what I don’t like is the company. I’d tend to pick anything but Microsoft for an embedded application based on Microsoft’s track record. The fundamental problem is that the cool radio/screen or whatever is going to be outdated way before the average car is put to pasture. Right now, our newest car is a 2007. And yes, I have lots of Microsoft products. I can’t help it.

 

[MoparNorm]

I don't know how feasible this is, but I'd like a system that when you don't have a smartphone would operate like a regular touchscreen radio, but that in the presence of a phone connected via wifi or blue tooth would allow you to function the phone on the screen as it was your phone.

The aftermarket Clarion in my Jeep does that. My iPhone is linked to it via Bluetooth, or I can use the Apple interface, or USB port and simultaneously use my iPhone, iPad and iPod along with the Garmin NAV screen and Sirius, if I so desire and the kids can watch TV or movies on the 11" screens in the back seats.
It can interface with any decide that has a USB connection cord.

 

[Stratuscaster]

I get what you’re saying, but what I don’t like is the company. I’d tend to pick anything but Microsoft for an embedded application based on Microsoft’s track record. The fundamental problem is that the cool radio/screen or whatever is going to be outdated way before the average car is put to pasture. Right now, our newest car is a 2007. And yes, I have lots of Microsoft products. I can’t help it.

How much of Ford's SYNC and Kia's UVO and Fiat's Blue&Me is actually "Microsoft" that the user sees and interacts with, and how much is a layer on top of a Microsoft back-end? I've not seen one factory automotive interface system that operates or looks the same as any version of Windows. There were several aftermarket NAV units running Windows CE...but the CE UI wasn't what the user worked with - it was another layer on top of that.

I can't think of one OS maker that has never had to issue updates or patches to resolve flaws or issues. Track records can be easily manipulated by the media - in both positive and negative ways.

And again, in the case of Fiat's Blue&Me - there is not ONE mention of Microsoft's involvement on their consumer web site.

 

[TWX]

If your XBox crashes you're annoyed. You reboot your XBox daily, or several times a day depending on how the gaming situation works.

Even if it's just an environmental/nav/entertainment computer, if it has a problem and requires the driver to take one's attention from the road, then that's a problem.

I have supported Microsoft products professionally for sixteen years, and was a hobbyist dealing with Microsoft products for at least five years before that. It is my opinion that if you want a system or service that has 99.999% uptime reliability, you simply cannot use Microsoft products. I have seen everything from PDAs with Microsoft OSes to multicore servers with Microsoft OSes experience service or kernel crashes.

Microsoft is interested in selling new versions of their software, to the extent that they do not bug-check their newly-written software throughly enough, nor do they repair flaws in existing software as it's integrated into new products until flaws are glaringly pointed out. Given the poor opportunity for updating software in embedded systems, I don't think that any automotive systems should be based on Microsoft software.

 

[JRS200x]

my iPhone crashed fairly regularly for dumb problems. I have had Mac's the crash. I have had my Android phone crash. I have had a Linux server crash. I have had my laptop running Windows 8 crash.

Everything crashes. Nothing has 99.999% uptime reliability.

 

[Dave Z]

Won't argue there. I've had Mac crashes. Well, not this year. But sometime in the past

I will say everything has gotten much better (I can't speak about iPhone, I only have iPods). Last major Windows problem I had was years ago, along with the last major Mac problem. Haven't had Linux issues in ages that weren't due to my own configuration issues or evil people doing naughty things.

I still loathe the System Registry approach used by Windows, though. I still find it amazing that they took a major advantage of Windows over the Mac (the use of text configuration files) and turned it into a weakness with Windows 95 (the complex, crash-happy Registry that doesn't let you easily move prefs from one machine to the other, recover bad prefs, etc.) Eventually, and amusingly, the Mac went from binary to text configuration files, while Windows stayed with the Registries.

Whenever I have to move from one machine to another or move a program around or ... I am happy to NOT have a registry.

And what does this have to do with Microsoft Embedded? Not a thing!

PS> QNX’s strength over standard Linux or UNIX is mainly security. I highly doubt Windows Embedded is up to QNX’s standards even if it is up to Linux or BSD standards.

 

[RVC]

The base model is Garmin, the more expensive model is Harmon.
Mike

Yes, I was only talking about the 8.4" (r3 and r4). The small ones don't even have a nav AFAIK, but both the new 8.4" ones are now made by Kardon. At least that's what Allpar says http://www.allpar.com/corporate/tech/uconnect.html

 

[LoganSix]

Yes, I was only talking about the 8.4" (r3 and r4). The small ones don't even have a nav AFAIK, but both the new 8.4" ones are now made by Kardon. At least that's what Allpar says http://www.allpar.com/corporate/tech/uconnect.html

Harmon is AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®.
But, Harmon sold QNX to BlackBerry, so it is a little iffy now on who is making what.