Below is a custom OS shell that a Bimmerforums.com member loaded on his custom Carputer.
I see first hand how hard it is to design a multimedia system for a vehicle that works well. I.E. BMW’s iDrive, Mercedes iDrive rip-off, DCX’s soon to be released My Gig, and Audi’s Nav System. I have demo’d, and seen the development of a few of these systems (friends).
This post is more of a few statements, and a few questions, and we would like to hear your responses.
Statements……
1. OEM’s will never be able to keep up with emerging technology with 5 year platform development schedules.
2. OEM’s are crippled by federal government requirements
3. Copyright laws, and digital information security is a growing concern among all OEM’s
4. Aftermarket can do it faster and cheaper, without all the OEM headaches and Federal mandates.
Questions…
1. Wouldn’t a Carputer make more sense? Imagine your car’s “Infotainment” being like that of a cell phone. A paired down operating system of say Microsoft, or Mac, or Google, or Linux. You would be free to choose, and pull near a “HOT SPOT” and you can wirelessly update your car’s Operating system.
2. What is your cars system was made to “hack into” instead of the OEM doing everything to keep you out of their system. Would you like that?
3. What if the Aftermarket stopped making head units that look like they belong in a spaceship, but actually tailor their products to specific vehicles, by simply changing the faceplate design and colors, but the function and complexity of the OS is up to you.
I firmly believe that the car is still in it’s very first stage. If you were to compare the modern car to a human life, the modern car has not even learned to crawl yet. It is an infant. If you are to compare in car “infotainment” to human life, then it is still an embryo, not even born yet.
The next evolution of in car information immersion is here, and it is the little guy that will bring it faster then the OEM!!!!! It is the small time hacker ripping out his/her factory radio, and installing their own custom CARPUTER. Mark my words, this is something I have watched for about 3 years now, and if the aftermarket can pull it off, we are looking at one simple computer that can do HD radio, Satellite radio, High-speed internet, WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity for phone and web, phone lists, navigation, music management, etc. The possibilities are endless, I put it out there for everyone to marinate on, but it is the future, and it is coming. And with the future comes an even more distracted driver.
With the Carputer, it is only a matter of time before the first fully automated cars will be introduced, but that is another topic all together.
All Image credits go to the members of Bimmerforums.com,azbmw.org, most of the cars are BMW E36′s, here is to the future!!
Scott Digital