Comments on: TTAC Correction: Ford Says SYNC Ads not Microsoft’s Decision

By: kevinb120

kevinb120 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:46:40 +0000

You seem to forget this enables you to do things WITHOUT your hands leaving the wheel. Even after 500k miles without an accident in a car or on a bike(with hardly a mile below the speed limit outside of traffic), I still keep my hands in the 10-2 even in regular driving in traffic. With SYNC, I put a few thousand songs on a USB thumb drive, and make my entire 35 minute commute without ever touching the stereo. The SYNC, volume, and phone are all handled by my right thumb on the wheel….

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:39:12 +0000

Did Mr. Hall (full disclosure — a very nice guy that I enjoy drinking with) mention that Sync is only exclusive to Ford for (from what I hear) 18 months? After that, Micro$oft can start sticking it in other makes…

Fiat had the same Microsoft technology BEFORE Ford did.

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:12:19 +0000

SunnyvaleCA: Up until a couple years ago, one of my toys was an 89 Riviera. Talk about ancient-looking graphics!

I miss that car.

By: shaker

shaker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:51:26 +0000

I can understand the appeal of this stuff, when what used to be “driving pleasure” in what used to be “winding road heaven” now consists of looking at the back of an Expedition between red lights at strip malls.

By: SunnyvaleCA

SunnyvaleCA — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:57:30 +0000

I’m with UnclePete (and not just because my name is Peter and I’m also in the computer industry). I find the electronic gizmos distracting from the safety aspects of driving and distracting from the pleasure of driving. The LCD console screens are perhaps the worst offenders. Not only that, but the graphics and animations will look positively ancient in about 5 years.

By: Jonny Lieberman

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:34:02 +0000

From Alan “The Horse” Hall’s mouth: “‘SYNC’ is Ford’s brand name, so it is permanently exclusive to Ford (no other automaker will ever be able to use “SYNC”). The Microsoft Auto operating system platform that SYNC is based on is exclusive to Ford through November of this year. So, Microsoft can offer the platform to other OEMs for integration into their vehicles. But, the features, capabilities, and functionality will be different from Ford SYNC.”

So, look for SRYNC by Microsoft in a Saab near you come Christmas.

By: BlueBrat

BlueBrat — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:55 +0000

The point of too much in the car tech is a concern. It’s not just grandma’s, but I’ve noticed a fair amount of people with lux cars with the fancy screen interfaces that completely ignore the presence of. I guess because they don’t want to be bothered learning it, or the interface seems imposing, I don’t know.

Maybe the interfaces need more refinement and simplicity. Regardless, I don’t think those interfaces are helping anyone but geeks. :)

By: Jordan Tenenbaum

Jordan Tenenbaum — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:03:12 +0000

CarShark : That’s why I have Sirius.

By: CarShark

CarShark — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:58:35 +0000

From what I see on the road every day, more people need to stop playing with the toys in their cars and get on with the business of driving!

I disagree. CD autochangers, mp3 players and the like make the chore of driving more bearable. That hour-long drive from college back home doesn’t seem so bad when I’m listening to Queens of the Stone Age.

By: Edward Niedermeyer

Edward Niedermeyer — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:47:33 +0000

Sync is the spinsters baby right now. The only quasi-good news from Ford sales at the moment is that this “killer-app” is moving the otherwise putrescent Focus. Oh yeah, and it’s gonna attract “young, tech-savvy, first-time buyers” into Fords, making them blue-oval-fo-lifer’s, complete with the little Calvin sticker pissing on Honda/Scion/whomever. Except that as Johnny points out, the technology will only be exclusive to Ford for a few more months. Sure, Ford will have the name “Sync” forever, but everyone and their downmarket brand will offer all the same cool features soon enough.

Besides, since the post was written in the “future-speculative tense,” and “all options are on the table,” it wasn’t factually incorrect, was it? Y’know, sort of like saying “Ford is doing a lot of things right with this campaign” when sales of the Focus are clearly tied to one temporarily exclusive option.

By: Gardiner Westbound

Gardiner Westbound — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:46:54 +0000

It’s good to know FoMoCo closely monitors TTAC.

By: UnclePete

UnclePete — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:23:43 +0000

I still wouldn’t buy it. Even though I develop computer systems (or because of it!) I am becoming something of an automotive Luddite, at least when it comes to electronic toys in the car. I want the electronics kept to a minimum so I can enjoy the driving experience.

From what I see on the road every day, more people need to stop playing with the toys in their cars and get on with the business of driving!

By: Robert Farago

Robert Farago — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:44:03 +0000

He did. And so did you.

By: Jonny Lieberman

Jonny Lieberman — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:42:06 +0000