At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates

> reportedly compared the

> >> computer industry with the auto industry and

> stated "If GM had kept up

> >> with the technology like the computer industry

> has, we would all be

> >> driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to

> >> the gallon."

> >>

> >> In response to Bill's comments, General Motors

> issued a press release

> >> stating - if GM had developed technology like

> Microsoft, we would all be

> >> driving cars with the following characteristics:

> >>

> >> 1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash

> twice a day.

> >>

> >> 2. Every time they repainted the lines in the

> road, you would have to buy

> >> a new car.

> >>

> >> 3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway

> for no reason. You would

> >> have to pull over to the side of the road, close

> all of the car windows,

> >> shut it off, restart it, a! nd reopen the windows

> before you could

> >> continue. For some reason you would

> >> simply accept this.

> >>

> >> 4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a

> left turn would cause your

> >> car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which

> case you would have to

> >> reinstall the engine.

> >>

> >> 5. Only one person at a time could use the car

> unless you bought CarNT,

> >> but then you would have to buy more seats.

> >>

> >> 6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by

> the sun, was reliable,

> >> five times as fast and twice as easy to drive -

> but would only run on 5%

> >> of the roads.

> >>

> >> 7. The oil, water temperature, and alternator

> warning lights would all be

> >> replaced by a single "General Protection Fault"

> warning light.

> >>

> >> 8. New seats would force everyone to have the

> same sized butt.

> >>

> >> 9. The airbag system would ask "are you SURE?"

> before deployi! ng.

> >>

> >> 10. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your

> car would lock you out

> >> and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously

> lifted the door handle,

> >> turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio

> antenna.

> >>

> >> 11. GM would require all car buyers to also

> purchase a deluxe set of Rand

> >> McNally Road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even

> though they neither need nor

> >> want them. Attempting to delete this option would

> immediately cause the

> >> car's performance to diminish by

> >> 50% or more. Moreover, GM would become a target

> for investigation by the

> >> Justice Dept.

> >>

> >> 12. Every time GM introduced a new car, car

> buyers would have to learn to

> >> drive all over again because none of the controls

> would operate in the

> >> same manner as the old car.

> >>

> >> 13. You'd have to press the "Start" button to

> turn the engine off.