A better analogy I think is the space program. In order to go into space and land on the moon, NASA invented a whole bunch of things that were useful to us in other ways. Apple (and google to a less focused extent) tinker with stuff, hoping to learn new things and able to sell some of them. Apple TV was that for Apple at first, just something they were playing with. I have no idea what Apple has behind the curtain, but if the rumors are right and it is a car, that could generate several products. In figuring out cars, they (like Musk) will need to figure out batteries even more than today. They will look at safety issue. They will look at a ton of things and I would suspect that even if the car never shows up, other things will from the effort.
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Apple R&D Spending on Track to Top Record $10 Billion Amid Electric Vehicle Rumors
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A car is a computer too.
Pretty much all the brains and operation of modern cars are controlled and managed by computers and software.
Tesla is currently worth 25 billion. If i were Apple, I would try to buy Tesla and stop wasting time and money on research and development.
True, but I'm so glad they didn't, more companies, more competition is always good.
All those mechanical devices are controlled by a computer. When you hit your brakes it is no longer s mechanical response. Instead a computer measures brake pressure then tells the brakes what to do.
Pretty much no part of modern cars are not using a computer.
What would change the world? I can think of some things that are worth spending money on: (a) new batteries that are smaller and lighter, and last dramatically longer; (b) tech that operates by human thought; (c) implantable tech that augments human memory; (d) more powerful encryption; (e) faster wireless data transmission; and (f) bionics (particularly for those who have disabilities).
I'm sure the R&D folks are looking at more than just electric cars, right? But all the rumors about the car make it seem like Apple is chasing after someone else's dream.
I'm sure the R&D folks are looking at more than just electric cars, right? But all the rumors about the car make it seem like Apple is chasing after someone else's dream.
I can understand why Apple is doing research and development on cars. Cars are the next big area with potential for innovation. Look at what we're trying to do in our society with eco-friendly this, eco-friendly that and more...
The consumer and the manufacturers want to get rid of cars that are based on gas and oil, because they aren't eco-friendly, and gas companies don't have a clue about keeping consistent gas prices anymore. If gas companies wanted to push their prices to $6.00/USD per gallon, then they could, and we'd be stuck paying for it.
On top of that, there is the potential to reduce accidents and crimes such as DWI if cars are safer, don't need gas, and are self-driving.
With that said, I don't see the Apple Car being mainstream in the U.S at launch, because we take ages to transition for the better with everything here. We would likely see Apple cars more mainstream in the U.K and Australia first.
The consumer and the manufacturers want to get rid of cars that are based on gas and oil, because they aren't eco-friendly, and gas companies don't have a clue about keeping consistent gas prices anymore. If gas companies wanted to push their prices to $6.00/USD per gallon, then they could, and we'd be stuck paying for it.
On top of that, there is the potential to reduce accidents and crimes such as DWI if cars are safer, don't need gas, and are self-driving.
With that said, I don't see the Apple Car being mainstream in the U.S at launch, because we take ages to transition for the better with everything here. We would likely see Apple cars more mainstream in the U.K and Australia first.
There were no MP3 players, smartphones or computers before Apple devices? If anything your completely wrong point highlights why this might be viable.
I can list off huge companies that were in each of those areas before Apple with tons of resources and experience. Cars are likely going to be the most sophisticated computers any of us ultimately own.
Either they are going to come out with something amazing, or they are getting as wasteful as the government with their spending.
To quote Mr Burns: "Money Fight!"
To quote Mr Burns: "Money Fight!"
Can't wait to see how thin the car is. We'll be driving it with our knees in our chins. And no steering wheel because Apple decided you didn't need one, just use the Force Touch Gorilla Glass windshield.
Starting about a quarter century ago, car manufacturers started replacing mechanical parts with microprocessors and software. Today, there are commonly over 100 computers in the average mid to high-end car, and many more lines of code than all mechanical components together, even the tiny ones (ball bearings).
Unless you are talking about a car maybe a quarter century old, the mechanical device parts would not even start to move without the computer controls.
No. A computer is a device used to store, retrieve, display, and compute information.
A car is a device used to carry people and/or items from point A to B using roads. A car might be aided by a computer to facilitate navigation and/or reduce fatigue.
Two very different items, with two different purposes. At most, a computer is a subsystem of a car.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Just think about how much a new player in the car industry can revolutionise the transportation.
No steering wheel, no commands.
Just Air conditioning, radio/sat-nav on a huge monitor (Siri?, hopefully not with Apple Maps) and full autopilot, from the start to the end.
The only problem would be the price imho. If 600€ could be too much for many people to spend in a phone...this car definitely would have costs out of any reasonable scale (Tesla-like). And also with ridiculous margins (Tesla sells every car at loss).
No, the other problem would be the extraordinary focus on "thinner." We may start out inside the car but eventually we will have to be sitting atop a super slim slab with 4 wheels OUTSIDE of it.
Still further, Apple will then eject those protruding and "outdated tech" wheels so that most of us will have to buy them separately to continue using them on standard, not "the future" roads.
Still further, eventually we buy an empty box and assemble the car completely from additional accessory purchases... gush about it.. and convince others that it is the ONE and only way that car buying should be.
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Tons of money, but zero innovation being shown to public in last 2 years. Ugh. My AAPL continues to plummet every single day.
That is like saying that a 100% mechanical car is human because a human controls the parts and makes the decisions.
$10bn and they are starting from scratch? Nowhere near enough. Mercedes spend $8bn a year, every year and they have the basics in place. Audi are spending the $8bn every year for 4 years just to keep up.
If Cooky boy things $10bn on all there products including the car is going to do it, then he deluded. Initial investment will be greatest cost, and they are not spending what existing and established car makers spend, they will struggle like hell to get anything off the ground.
If Cooky boy things $10bn on all there products including the car is going to do it, then he deluded. Initial investment will be greatest cost, and they are not spending what existing and established car makers spend, they will struggle like hell to get anything off the ground.
Maybe with your supreme skills, you should apply for a C-position at Apple. Bring something to the table! What’s the next big thing?
That's precisely why a car is not a computer, but (nowadays) a much more complex system. The parts needed for a car, in term of assembly, are much more than "a computer". A computer might be fundamental today for a car, but it doesn't make the car a computer. Remove a tire, and let me know how the car runs. A car is not a tire either. A car is not a steering wheel either, or a transmission and so on. Yet, if you remove those parts, the "car" is gone, useless.