Microsoft to consider Automobile manufacturing Unverified rumors by Donald Burleson

According to urban legend, Microsoft's Bill Gates once allegedly chided the auto industry and bragged that Detroit could never keep-up the same pace as Microsoft technology:

"If General Motors had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that get a 1,000 miles to the gallon."

Could Bill be serious?  We must remember that Bill Gates has a net worth greater than most developing countries and we have to wonder how Microsoft would fare if they went into automotive industry.  Let's take a look at what a Microsoft car might look like.

Coming soon - The Microsoft car?

If Microsoft makes the move into automotive production we will surely see the debut of MS-CAR, a Microsoft car with many of the same characteristics of Microsoft Windows that we know and love.  The MS-CAR would likely have these Windows features:

• In a Microsoft car, you must press a "Start" button to turn-off the engine.
   
• The airbags in an MS-CAR would ask "Are you Sure" before deploying.
   
• When you get road weary, MS-CAR will automatically install a new driver.
   
• When a Microsoft car breaks-down, you would have to close all Windows before attempting to re-start the car.
   
• Once re-started, the Microsoft car would ask if you would like to report the incident.
   
• In case of an accident, a Microsoft car would require that the engine be re-installed from scratch.
   
• Only one person can drive a Microsoft car at a time unless you upgrade to the "professional edition" and purchase extra seats.  The new seats would require that everyone have the same-sized butt.
   
• The MS-Car will pester you to upgrade it every time you drive it.
   
• The body of a Microsoft car will be very fragile and it requires patching every week.
   
• When the MS-Car is replaced by the MS-Vista car, the steering, throttle and brake locations will change dramatically, making it impossible to drive without re-training.
   
• A Microsoft car will lock-up frequently (usually due to leaks), but we won't care since the car only costs $25, and it's cheaper to buy a new one than to try to repair it.
   
• All gauges on a Microsoft car are displayed within a large blue screen, and all problems are displayed in hexadecimal notation.

Editors Note:  Yes, this gag is older than dirt, dating back to the early days of Windows 3.1 (the 1980's), but many young folks have never heard it before, so here it is . . . .

Also, have you ever wondered about the origin of the three-finger salute?  Here is the inventor of <Alt control> delete, discussion his invention with Bill Gates: