Microsoft shows off new 'Windows in the car' concept to take on Apple's CarPlay

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  • Reply 21 of 98
    ingelaingela Posts: 217member
    Hate to say it, the UI is not as grotesque and tacky as CarPlay. Looks to have better features too.
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  • Reply 22 of 98
    customtbcustomtb Posts: 346member
    chipsy wrote: »
    I see your point but then again Apple probably wanted the name to reflect that it worked more or less the same as AirPlay.
    P.S. I find it strange that Microsoft would go with Windows in the Car as brand name. Why not just use the old Sync name and thus launch it as a new and improved Sync. The Windows in the Car name has too much of a 'me to' feeling, while Microsoft actually already made an attempt at this.
    Because sync sucked so bad not even Microsoft wants any part of it. Seriously, we had our eyes set on the ford edge until the salesman pointed out the great sync feature from microsoft. He couldn't understand why we no longer wanted to test drive.
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  • Reply 23 of 98
    schlackschlack Posts: 741member
    ugh. we want big big icons. no more than 6 on a screen.
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  • Reply 24 of 98
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    ingela wrote: »
    Hate to say it, the UI is not as grotesque and tacky as CarPlay. Looks to have better features too.
    How exactly is the CarPlay UI tacky?
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  • Reply 25 of 98
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post

     

    Why would you want live tiles in a car?

     

    So you can crash when distracted by Facebook updates?


    Yes, that is a very busy interface with lots and lots of options. True MS. Lets not forget all the options!

     

    But I love the swishy sound! Awesome innovation.

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  • Reply 26 of 98
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    schlack wrote: »
    ugh. we want big big icons. no more than 6 on a screen.
    There's a reason car infotainment systems look the way they do. Too much information on the screen is not a good thing.
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  • Reply 27 of 98
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member

    Disaster waiting to happen.

    Viruses and badly written programs in the car.

    This is a big safety hazzard I hope all cars are marked as such so you could avoid them.

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  • Reply 28 of 98
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    One thing I'd like to see from in-car information systems would be the inclusion of the currently posted legal speed limit for the location being traveled.

    How about drones that are linked to your map directions, current GPS location, and that maintain a certain distance ahead of you with a camera system and on-board system designed for "law enforcement recognition" so you know when you need to slow down.

    knowitall wrote: »
    Disaster waiting to happen.
    Viruses and badly written programs in the car.
    This is a big safety hazzard I hope all cars are marked as such so you could avoid them.

    I don't see that as an issue. This appears to work just like CarPlay in that the UI is being sent via the Windows Phone to overlay on the car's in-dash system. This doesn't appear to be another Ford SYNC.
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  • Reply 29 of 98
    ingelaingela Posts: 217member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    How exactly is the CarPlay UI tacky?

    Jobs once said MS lacked taste. Now with him gone so is his taste. The CarPlay UI is inelegant and tacky. May be tolerable on a lime green iPhone 5c, but certainly not the inside of a luxury car. 

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  • Reply 30 of 98
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Microsoft bringing up the tail with the "me too" implementation. Seriously, Apple announced this what, two years ago? Forstall introduced it. How are these companies so unoriginal?
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  • Reply 31 of 98
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gumbi View Post

     
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    One thing I'd like to see from in-car information systems would be the inclusion of the currently posted legal speed limit for the location being traveled.



    Based on one of the screen shots in the demo - I think this does.


    I like the idea but where does it get the data from? If it is not supplied in real time from the local authority it is not valid. 

     

    If you can't rely on its accuracy it shouldn't be included. 

     

    I had an idea to have RF tags in the street and a sensor on the car. If the local authorities want to change the speed limit then they are responsible for changing the tags. Ideally these tags could be dynamic and reprogrammable so if there was bad weather, or construction, or if they want the speed limit lower at night, or when school children are present, they could be instantly updated. The post signs would need to either go away or become dynamic as well though in order for a the system to work. Probably too expensive to implement, plus there are several patents for this type of system.

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  • Reply 32 of 98
    gumbigumbi Posts: 148member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     

    I like the idea but where does it get the data from? If it is not supplied in real time from the local authority it is not valid. 

     

    If you can't rely on its accuracy it shouldn't be included. 

     

    I had an idea to have RF tags in the street and a sensor on the car. If the local authorities want to change the speed limit then they are responsible for changing the tags. Ideally these tags could be dynamic and reprogrammable so if there was bad weather, or construction, or if they want the speed limit lower at night, or when school children are present, they could be instantly updated. The post signs would need to either go away or become dynamic as well though in order for a the system to work. Probably too expensive to implement, plus there are several patents for this type of system.




    I don't know how they know this, beyond, it seems to be part of the mapping data - because, Nokia Here displays this information as well.  I figure that it's not much of an issue - speed limits don't really change often...   And, of course, the normal caveats of using any mapping system apply - the system is supposed to be an aid, not a replacement for your own brain and common sense.

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  • Reply 33 of 98
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Microsoft has been testing the concept in both simulators and real-world vehicles, with one slide in the presentation showing badges from marques Ford, Kia, BMW, Nissan, and Fiat. Windows in the car is based on the industry standard MirrorLink protocol, which likely opens the door to aftermarket adoption as well due to the variety of automotive electronics manufacturers -- including Sony and Alpine -- that have committed to ship products compatible with the standard.

    The only thing I wish CarPlay would have had.  To be more specific- I think Apple should have made their own- because 3rd parties always screw it up.  A continual upgrade cycle that is easily changeable every 1-3 years.  Continual revenue stream, new market, etc.

     

    I don't see how that could be worse than only offering it to OEMs without any ability to upgrade the hardware later.  Of course, I do admit, I'm just a forum contributor (debatable)- so take it for what it is.  ;) 

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  • Reply 34 of 98
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    My other auto speed related idea is one that would allow for programmable cruise control settings. The purpose is to preset 5 or so speed settings that correspond to the typical speed limits in your city. For example in the US we have 25, 30, 40, 50, 65mph as common posted limits. Then through the use of the same steering column mounted control you could toggle through them and they would display on the screen. That way you don't have to continually monitor your speed, allowing you to focus on the road instead of the speedometer.

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  • Reply 35 of 98
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gumbi View Post

     
     And, of course, the normal caveats of using any mapping system apply - the system is supposed to be an aid, not a replacement for your own brain and common sense.


    Sure but having a map take you down a one way street the wrong way is considered a very serious problem. I would imagine erroneous posted speed data could be just as hazardous.

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  • Reply 36 of 98
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    One thing I'd like to see from in-car information systems would be the inclusion of the currently posted legal speed limit for the location being traveled.

    VW's navigation systems already do this.

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  • Reply 37 of 98
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Marzell View Post



    Microsoft couldn't exist if it weren't for Apple.

     

    Funny how what goes around comes around isn’t it.

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  • Reply 38 of 98
    gumbigumbi Posts: 148member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post

     

    VW's navigation systems already do this.




    That doesn't surprise me.  Since, I'm pretty sure that VW uses Nokia's Here data (something like 80% of in car navigation system do) - and the Nokia Here apps on Windows Phone show this data as well.

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  • Reply 39 of 98
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gumbi View Post

     

    That doesn't surprise me.  Since, I'm pretty sure that VW uses Nokia's Here data (something like 80% of in car navigation system do) - and the Nokia Here apps on Windows Phone show this data as well.


    How many people get their nav data live in their in-car system? Not very many I would suspect. Most people don't update their map data ever. For my BMW they charged me $200 to upgrade my onboard map data. I had to do it because so many highway on ramp location around LA have been redesigned that I was constantly missing exits. Although speed limits don't change that often I would not trust the data if it was a year or two old. 

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  • Reply 40 of 98
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    The UI - in these photos anyway does look nicer than that of CarPlay. When I first saw the screen pics of CarPlay it struck me as too literally similar to that of the iPhone and reminded me a bit too much of the Apple TV's UI - those awful channel app icons! It's nowhere near as bad as that...but still Apple could of made it slicker looking, and they yet might in version 2.0 or 3.0 maybe.
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