BMW computer failure traps Thai minister

[splerdu]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/912445.asp...amp;cp1=1#BODY

I'd be hard-pressed to defend i-drive and their use of Windows CE after this...

[splerdu]

Full text, in case MSN pull the article out:

Computer failure traps Thai minister
Guards break window to extract minister from BMW limousine

BANGKOK, Thailand, May 12 — Security guards smashed their way into an official limousine with sledgehammers on Monday to rescue Thailand’s finance minister after his car’s computer failed.

SUCHART JAOVISIDHA and his driver were trapped inside the BMW for more than 10 minutes before guards broke a window. All doors and windows had locked automatically when the computer crashed, and the air-conditioning stopped, officials said.

“We could hardly breathe for over 10 minutes,” Suchart told reporters. “It took my guard a long time to realise that we really wanted the window smashed so that we could crawl out. It was a harrowing experience.”

© 2003 Reuters Limited.

[ephraim]

kasi may computer pa ang kotse nila. :mrgreen: kung walang computer, di yan mangyayari :lol:

[kiper]

hmm..mukhang malaki ang babayaran ng bmw na damages dun...

[ghosthunter]

depends... if its a custom job done my a 3rd party... bmw will not be responsible.

[SiAKOL]

Pwede mo naman buksan ang power door lock manually, nag panic lang agad.

[gjtech]

Pwede mo naman buksan ang power door lock manually, nag panic lang agad.

no din, kasi may double lock mechanism... i tried sa 316i e36 pag na lock ka inside tapos ang nag lock yung alarm hindi ka talaga makakalabas.

[splerdu]

The problem with the i-Drive is that it's complicated, and relies on unreliable software (Windows CE). I have nothing against using computers for managing a car... airplanes wouldn't be as safe as they are today without computers. What's bad here is you have a complex system running on an unreliable base. If something fails, everything fails and that's very bad... Imagine if Windows crashed while you were driving at 200kph!

The drawback is that modern consumer operating systems do not have a failsafe mode. Windows, MacOSX, even Linux won't know what to do in case a program goes awry and crashes. Flight control systems use a proprietary OS where all points of failure are mapped out. For every possible case, the computer will always have a fallback plan. IMO BMW was incredibly naive to think they can just substitue a consumer OS for what should be a fail-safe system, and using Windows, no less!

[logbook]

The drawback is that modern consumer operating systems do not have a failsafe mode. Windows, MacOSX, even Linux won't know what to do in case a program goes awry and crashes. Flight control systems use a proprietary OS where all points of failure are mapped out. For every possible case, the computer will always have a fallback plan. IMO BMW was incredibly naive to think they can just substitue a consumer OS for what should be a fail-safe system, and using Windows, no less!

true....its difficult enough to get various systems to work on a car even if all those systems were developed in-house, sasabayan pa nila ng 3rd part software to handle those systems. dami masyadong open variables kapag ganun....

[wrecker]

windows is not fit for real-time systems, they should have used java and unix technologies for this.

[Severus|]

The problem with the i-Drive is that it's complicated, and relies on unreliable software (Windows CE). I have nothing against using computers for managing a car... airplanes wouldn't be as safe as they are today without computers. What's bad here is you have a complex system running on an unreliable base. If something fails, everything fails and that's very bad... Imagine if Windows crashed while you were driving at 200kph!

The drawback is that modern consumer operating systems do not have a failsafe mode. Windows, MacOSX, even Linux won't know what to do in case a program goes awry and crashes. Flight control systems use a proprietary OS where all points of failure are mapped out. For every possible case, the computer will always have a fallback plan. IMO BMW was incredibly naive to think they can just substitue a consumer OS for what should be a fail-safe system, and using Windows, no less!

Hehe... ilang beses ba magcrash ang freshly installed Windows? Paano pa kung marami ng duming kahalo... :mrgreen:

[roydok]

Kawawang tao talaga...tsk..tsk.:o

[odell]

kasi dapat ang BMW.. sa atin binibigay at hinde sa opisyal.. hehehe.. they are to special for the cars.. hahahaha :lol:

[B16ba-type-RSiR]

Kawawa namn ung prime minister prisoner in his own car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:!::roll::lol::lol:

[gjtech]

... so they had to smash the windows when Windows crashed... :lol: :lol: :lol:

[wreckless]

what!?!?!
8O
:lol::lol::lol:

[kevinp]

there are far better companies other than microsoft that develop software for cars. nalimutan ko na yung name but the company that makes the ecu ng mga F1 cars is a good example. i saw their site a few months ago. <something>wind yata yung pangalan. baliw naman ang BMW to think that microsoft can handle yung programming ng i-Drive nila. :evil:


either way, they should have built-in some sort of safety cut-out sa car so that it unlocks the doors, shuts of the engine, slows down automatically (when driving) pag nag-crash ang windows CE nila.

[empy]

I agree with the statement about Windows CE. My iPaq always loses data for one reason or another....aggravating :x