Microsoft out, Blackberry in??

[kognito]

I hated Mysync/touch/whatever so much. this looks interesting

http://blog.caranddriver.com/ford-dr...ackberry-unit/

[blee]

In general terms, this is why I don't like advanced technology/infotainment packages as build options. iOS/Android/Sync/BB all have ridiculously short development cycles when compared to a typical car's lifespan, and software updates will only go so far. I don't even like buying built-in nav, because that cool-looking screen today will look mighty silly in three years.

Give me an interface/connectivity standard suite and call it a day. Bluetooth and maybe a USB or Lightning connector for my preferred device.

[bren]

Originally Posted by blee

... that cool-looking screen today will look mighty silly in three years.

You mean you don't think the recent trend toward tacked-on tablet looking screens will age well?

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by blee

In general terms, this is why I don't like advanced technology/infotainment packages as build options. iOS/Android/Sync/BB all have ridiculously short development cycles when compared to a typical car's lifespan, and software updates will only go so far. I don't even like buying built-in nav, because that cool-looking screen today will look mighty silly in three years.

Give me an interface/connectivity standard suite and call it a day. Bluetooth and maybe a USB or Lightning connector for my preferred device.

That's what iOS-in-the-car is attempting to do. Basically its a wireless protocol that uses the car as a display for the iOS device (similar to AirPlay to an AppleTV), plus using input from the car (touch) to drive the app. Basically lets the car always be current with the phone OS updates. Sounds like Google/Android is working on a similar protocol. I just hope car makers build in both protocols instead of just one...

Also, keep in mind that what Ford is now going with is really QNX, which was acquired by BB in order to give them a modern OS (rolled out with BB10). QNX's specialty was embedded OS for automotive -- so Ford finally got fed up with MS on Sync and went to a more stable environment...

[clyde]

Show me a 10 year old car with an interior that doesn't look dated. Show me a 10 year old car with an exterior that doesn't look dated. It's the nature of the beast.

Blee, having a plug in standard is great...for a little while, but eventually that will become obsolete, too. And when then there are no devices left that work with the outdated standard...then what? At least with a self contained system, it won't be the useless waste of space that car phones are today in cars from the 90s.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by ZBB

Also, keep in mind that what Ford is now going with is really QNX, which was acquired by BB in order to give them a modern OS (rolled out with BB10). QNX's specialty was embedded OS for automotive -- so Ford finally got fed up with MS on Sync and went to a more stable environment...

...owned by a laughing stock company on the brink of ruin.

I understand the success that QNX has had and would like to think that QNX will survive when BB finally gasps its last breath, but it's really hard to understand why they chose to go this way today instead of iOS and/or Android.

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by clyde

...owned by a laughing stock company on the brink of ruin.

I understand the success that QNX has had and would like to think that QNX will survive when BB finally gasps its last breath, but it's really hard to understand why they chose to go this way today instead of iOS and/or Android.

Agree completely -- was surprised by the news just for that reason.

[blee]

Originally Posted by clyde

Show me a 10 year old car with an interior that doesn't look dated. Show me a 10 year old car with an exterior that doesn't look dated. It's the nature of the beast.

Blee, having a plug in standard is great...for a little while, but eventually that will become obsolete, too. And when then there are no devices left that work with the outdated standard...then what? At least with a self contained system, it won't be the useless waste of space that car phones are today in cars from the 90s.

Yes, but ten-year-old shifters, fuel gauges, and headlight selector knobs all perform their tasks as efficiently today as they did ten years ago. What happens in ten years when your nav system won't take a map update because its Android base was abandoned eight years ago? You get a useless screen, maybe with some lines missing, or the remnants of nine-year-old McNuggets jammed in the bevel and held there with six-year-old chocolate milk. At least with an obsolete iPod interface, I had nothing taking up space on the dashboard and I will have no McNugget nuggettes to stare at in the future.*

*Unless, I suppose, that non-ordered-nav-option manifests itself as a gigantic 10-inch-diagnonal piece of leather-grained hard black plastic held in with two small metal clips that rattles over every pothole. Maybe then I would think twice.

[kognito]

Originally Posted by blee

Yes, but ten-year-old shifters, fuel gauges, and headlight selector knobs all perform their tasks as efficiently today as they did ten years ago. What happens in ten years when your nav system won't take a map update because its Android base was abandoned eight years ago? You get a useless screen, maybe with some lines missing, or the remnants of nine-year-old McNuggets jammed in the bevel and held there with six-year-old chocolate milk. At least with an obsolete iPod interface, I had nothing taking up space on the dashboard and I will have no McNugget nuggettes to stare at in the future.*

*Unless, I suppose, that non-ordered-nav-option manifests itself as a gigantic 10-inch-diagnonal piece of leather-grained hard black plastic held in with two small metal clips that rattles over every pothole. Maybe then I would think twice.

The only flaw with your logic is that you are assuming that the Mytouch crap from Ford worked in the first place

[clyde]

Originally Posted by blee

Yes, but ten-year-old shifters, fuel gauges, and headlight selector knobs all perform their tasks as efficiently today as they did ten years ago. What happens in ten years when your nav system won't take a map update because its Android base was abandoned eight years ago? You get a useless screen, maybe with some lines missing, or the remnants of nine-year-old McNuggets jammed in the bevel and held there with six-year-old chocolate milk. At least with an obsolete iPod interface, I had nothing taking up space on the dashboard and I will have no McNugget nuggettes to stare at in the future.*

*Unless, I suppose, that non-ordered-nav-option manifests itself as a gigantic 10-inch-diagnonal piece of leather-grained hard black plastic held in with two small metal clips that rattles over every pothole. Maybe then I would think twice.

Not sure I get what you're saying. At some point a system may not get any further map updates, butt hat doesn't turn the system into a useless brick. In older, more developed regions, a 10 year old map in the nav is going to work just fine 95 times out of 100 for 95 people out of 100.

I remember everyone flipping out about the '84 Corvette dash. "What are you going to do when it burns out in XX years? Bahawawawa!!!! The sky is falling!" Odd as it may be, those video game dashes held up pretty well, but when the do fail, replacements are easy to come by (not the simplest thing to replace, but it can be done and parts are plentiful...unlike 1989 Z51 steering racks and other hard parts).

And FWIW, the current My Ford Touch crap doesn't come standard with nav, you have to pay extra for that, but it uses the same hardware otherwise. Nav is just an SD card that you plug in. Come to think of it, the C4 Vette had a fancy looking do nothing display screen, too. )

And Doug's right...it's not like MFT really works to begin with either.