Apple Board Member Mickey Drexler on Steve Jobs' iCar Dreams, Apple's Living Room Push

[Konrad]

This will be a rant. I'm sorry, but I really have to say this.

To those of you saying the iCar would have been a failure: go f--- off. Just seriously go f right off.

What single clue do you know about what Steve envisioned? And what right do you have to assume that the most successful visionary of our time wasn't well aware of the challenges. It may not even have been developed for another decade or two.

Why do you doubt? Is it because it's more comforting considering he won't be around to see this vision into fruition? Because you're smarter than he was? Or maybe you lack his ability to envision something that isn't just a hackneyed mesh of what's currently available, like most other companies end up doing.

Guess what, now that he's not here anymore it'll probably take an extra two decades or more for us to come close to what he may have developed, regardless of the level of success it may have found. Could have been a real revolution in travel. It may not have resembled the car as we know it at all.

Sure I could continue to argue that point and sure you could argue against it, but with what evidence? Revolution requires dreaming big-- exactly what he tended to do.

Remember the moment you found out about his death? Was it not a profound sense of loss? Regardless, was a great loss for everyone. The man wasn't finished.

So f off.

-Me

LOL. Since I hit the airport and leave the country the moment the crazed fanatics and lunatics march the streets, here I will commend Jobs as I can't leave town right now. Stevo-greedo was most likely smart enough to realize that he was dumb enough when it came to vehicle design/manufacturing/distribution and all other countless tasks required putting bunch of other dumbos effectively in cars and on the road, so he never did anything about. And it was a good thing.

I can however see some dangerous and crazed people, people with some twisted Stevo shrines at their homes, assuming a cult status, ready to do WTF knows what. Hey, you above, the only real revolution in travel I can envision in your case is a trip to a penitentiary.

 

[mabaker]

Had he not been so ignorant about his health and possible treatments he'd be well and alive today tearing Android every week anew and working like mad on all of his projects. Now he's gone and his vision along with him. I can't imagine Tim Cook having the pull to make Ive and co. design something as outlandish and crazy (in a good way) as iCar or some living room sets.

It angers me that we could have him still with us all the way.

 

[redmotion]

The iCar would have been developed in order to keep on level terms with Google's development of a self driving car. The connections between the two companies are at high level so any innovation (no matter how secret) would leak to the other. (eg:Android smartphone <> iPhone)

http://jalopnik.com/5828101/this-is-googles-first-self+driving-car-crash

Self driving cars are the future. (My dad (a pensioner now) violently disagrees with me of course). But the advantages of self-driving cars are multiple:-
1. You wouldn't need to own one, you can have a subscription with a supplier (like a mobile phone contract) and just phone up or use an app to order a car when you need one. It would be there in minutes, your location, route, destination, everything ready prepared/reserved. All the technology is available now. It would be "transport as a service". Other transportation would become quickly obsolete.
2. Accidents due to human error would be eradicated. You might get the occassional disaster but in terms of journeys to accidents the car would become as safe as the airliner (and as luxurious).
3. There would be no traffic jams, a central traffic regulation system would regulate cars on the network. (Yes, occassional issues might result in embarrising snarlups but it would get ironed out over time). You would always get a parking space because it would be booked in advance and noone could steal it because they cannot gain control of their vehicles at all.
4. Trafficlights would go. Journey's would be regulated over their course to be non-stop. Pedestrian crossings would still exist.
5. Say goodbye to petrol.
6. Instead of driving you would consume entertainment, news, education, study, music, movies, videogames, etc. All in comfort and privacy.

Never underestimate what tech companies can do in any sector currently ruled by others. It's the lack of innovation in automobiles and TV (less so) right now that could easily see the major manufacturers leapfrogged by tech giants like Google or Apple.

I think Apple could make an awesome car.

 

[Supermacguy]

More like a better UI for certain things in the car -- the stereo comes to mind. The other car companies are starting to do things a little better but imagine how awesome an Apple-branded car stereo w/ touchscreen would be?

Yes I can imagine, and it sucks! Automobiles are NO PLACE for touchscreens. Why? because to use them you have to LOOK at them, ie taking your eyes off the road, just like texting or other phone fiddling.
KNOBS and BUTTONS are the correct UI for cars. Things that you can use by feel, to adjust easily while going 60 mph in a 4000 lb steel box that could kill you or others if it veers off course. And not just any slew of knobs and buttons, ones that are placed correctly and have different sizes or feel, so they can be easily distinguished by touch.
If you don't believe me, just try to use BMW's iDrive with your eyes closed.
Now if SIRI ever gets better, a voice activated system would be OK for sure; but I'd still like to keep the buttons.

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The iCar would have been developed in order to keep on level terms with Google's development of a self driving car. The connections between the two companies are at high level so any innovation (no matter how secret) would leak to the other. (eg:Android smartphone <> iPhone)

http://jalopnik.com/5828101/this-is-googles-first-self+driving-car-crash

Self driving cars are the future. (My dad (a pensioner now) violently disagrees with me of course). But the advantages of self-driving cars are multiple:-
1. You wouldn't need to own one, you can have a subscription with a supplier (like a mobile phone contract) and just phone up or use an app to order a car when you need one. It would be there in minutes, your location, route, destination, everything ready prepared/reserved. All the technology is available now. It would be "transport as a service". Other transportation would become quickly obsolete.
2. Accidents due to human error would be eradicated. You might get the occassional disaster but in terms of journeys to accidents the car would become as safe as the airliner (and as luxurious).
3. There would be no traffic jams, a central traffic regulation system would regulate cars on the network. (Yes, occassional issues might result in embarrising snarlups but it would get ironed out over time). You would always get a parking space because it would be booked in advance and noone could steal it because they cannot gain control of their vehicles at all.
4. Trafficlights would go. Journey's would be regulated over their course to be non-stop. Pedestrian crossings would still exist.
5. Say goodbye to petrol.
6. Instead of driving you would consume entertainment, news, education, study, music, movies, videogames, etc. All in comfort and privacy.

Never underestimate what tech companies can do in any sector currently ruled by others. It's the lack of innovation in automobiles and TV (less so) right now that could easily see the major manufacturers leapfrogged by tech giants like Google or Apple.

I think Apple could make an awesome car.

Self driving, probably not.
2. Human error will NEVER be eradicated. The "best" computer systems can still be thwarted by outside influence or dumb users.
3 & 4. You assume EVERYONE would somehow be able to have one of these specials iCars all at the same time. But few could probably afford them, and others simply would not buy them or take one even if free. I, for one, would not give up my sports car, with its manual transmission and awesome performance. Nor would I really want to give up my beater car, also a manual with no power anything. How do you legislate that anyone *must* drive a super-computerized car? (not that you were implying that) If not everyone drives a computerized car, then the traffic system has to account for "manual drivers" driving around and making dumb mistakes or simply not doing things the way the computerized traffic flow wants it done. So 1 guy driving an old POS can upset a lot of things simply by not being part of the traffic "system".
5. I'd like to say that too, but it's still a far way off.
6. I enjoy driving, and don't want to fill it with entertainment. On a multi hour drive, maybe. But commuting to work isn't so tedious I can't pay attention to where I am and what I'm doing.

 

[W1LLk]

I want an iCar. The first unibody car! Oh, then we'll see a plastic samsung car after that, with a name like "andromeda P3" running the las=test google android hot milkshake 6.0.1.3.2 with a driveWiz aid that is available to consumers 4 months after the release date, only to be affected by a malware that kills the driver.

I'm not sure if a true unibody car is a good thing or a bad thing. There are already cars where the main frame and pillars are one solid piece (I know Mazda has been doing it on several models for a few years). I also enjoyed your Droid Car stab. I'll have to forward that to my HTC fanboy friend.

Also...

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[phillipduran]

What kind of fuel would an Apple designed iCar run on?

Koolaid.

 

[smoledman]

I don't understand. Steve Jobs only pursued those areas he felt were being poorly addressed. Surely he thought highly of the Tesla company, maybe he'd partner with them to have it natively support iOS devices.

 

[Doctor Q]

Here's a photo of my iCar. I bought it in the days of candy-colored iMacs and I've been driving it ever since.



Image credit: imaginative designer Chris O'Riley.

 

[redmotion]

I, for one, would not give up my sports car, with its manual transmission and awesome performance.

I understand that and that is the attitude of thousands/millions. However, millions still baulk at using a smartphone or tablet computer (some of these people even have desktop PCs they use regularly but they are now set in their ways).

So what I'm saying is technology advances, it advances without your permission and doesn't give a damn about your job, your wants and needs etc. So when self driving cars appear, your days at the wheel of your beloved sports car will be numbered and you wont be able to do a thing about it. Creeping Regulations will slowly force it off the road, either fuel costs or taxes or just by making owned and/or manual cars illegal. No one will listen to what you say because you will be considered a luddite and only people consuming the new and exciting will have opinions that are listened to. It's always has been and always will be that way.

 

[KALLT]

Don't say it makes zero sense for Apple to do anything like that. Because I remember when I called Apple once to ask them when is Apple going to make a Phone, I was told that we are a computer company and we are not in to phone business. So after there, apple comes out with the iPhone. So I know if Steve had a chance to make a car it would have been wonderful.

I think you will have to make a distinction here. Before Apple announced the first iPhone it had a market for Macs, MacBooks and iPods. The iPhone was the next logical step, since it combined many technologies of Apple's existing products, from hardware to software. Essentially, the iPhone is a small mobile computer, something Apple was good at. Designing a car is an entirely different thing, a very costly thing. Apple would have to find many new employees from the relevant industries, pump a lot of money into research and development and establish relations with other manufacturers in order to develop a truly Apple car. Before Apple does something like that it would need to have very thorough plans and ambitions before the Board of Directors and the shareholders would ever agree with it. Jobs had many interesting ideas, no doubt. But at the end of the day he was a man of the computer business.

 

[SockRolid]

[...] Mickey Drexler shared his thoughts on several topics related to Apple, including Steve Jobs' dream to build an "iCar" that would have revolutionized the automobile industry. [...]

Might have gotten sued by Nickelodeon for infringement on you-know-what:

 

[JadedBen]

I'm sure the iCar would be minimalistic designed, aluminium chassis & body, with an easy to use dash control system and a rather 'snappy' engine, but you'll struggle to go far in it as by the time you arrive at your destination, the battery would have drained too much to start again and get you back home..

 

[smoledman]

http://www.teslamotors.com/ is the cutting edge. We don't need the iCar.

 

[thelonelylimo]

Apple should just buy VW, improve on their designs, release some great cars and call it a day.

I remember reading an article awhile back about Jobs meeting with Martin Winterkorn of VW.

I think it would be interesting for Apple to acquire TH!NK City.

 

[smoledman]

Now that Jobs is gone, who is the "vision" guy?

 

[AidenShaw]

Now that Jobs is gone, who is the "vision" guy?

Still Jobs - but now he has to VPN in from the afterlife.

 

[3282868]

I would buy it have glass and metal fronts like the Apple Stores with the spiral staircase. It would also have Siri integration to control all house functions. Now that is a house I would buy!!!

I know this makes me an über nerd, but I love the house used in "Iron Man" (although I liked the initial concept being Asian influenced over the circular design they went with, but I wouldn't turn either down)

 

[coldmack]

I want an iCar. The first unibody car! Oh, then we'll see a plastic samsung car after that, with a name like "andromeda P3" running the latest google android hot milkshake 6.0.1.3.2 with a driveWiz aid that is available to consumers 4 months after the release date, only to be affected by a malware that kills the driver.

You do know Samsung makes cars in Korea in conjunction with Renault and Nissan, right? It's called Renault Samsung Motors. Just saying. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Samsung_Motors

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That was Microsoft that developed iDrive.

You are close, but from what I read it was just based on a version of Windows CE, that BMW used as a basis to develop the controversial system in house.