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  • j-r conlinjrconlin@mindof.jrconlin.com
    Aug 7, 2026, 7:26 PM

    So, one other thing I'm kinda curious about (partly from thinking about the prior thread).

    I wonder if Slate is more of a vanguard than people think?

    Unlike Ford (and other auto makers) the Slate will have far less memory, GPU, disk or other items that are in serious short supply right now because of the multi-trillion dollar boondoggle. It also means that there's less tech to generally enshittify and get wrong because folk no longer understand what they're creating.

    I wonder if we'll see a return to "just a car / refrigerator / dish-washer  / toaster / etc."?

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  • Mathaetaesmathaetaes@infosec.exchange
    Aug 8, 2026, 12:15 AM

    @jrconlin my dad just sent me an article about the Ford Fathom, which appears to be targeting the same price point.

    If nothing else, Slate seems to be influencing mainstream manufacturers. There’s no way I see Ford shooting for a sub-$30k truck had Slate not demonstrated demand.

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  • j-r conlinjrconlin@mindof.jrconlin.com
    Aug 8, 2026, 12:46 AM

    @mathaetaes

    I kinda hope that there's a lot more competition at that price point, yeah. I also hope that part of that price point is removing a lot of the "on-line" services that cars have. It's been a while since the Privacy Not Included report, and automakers have gotten somehow worse about things.

    Turning off or removing a lot of that crap would save them billions over the life of the vehicle.

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  • C.cazabon@mindly.social
    Aug 8, 2026, 12:57 AM

    @jrconlin

    When I had to replace my car a couple of years ago, "no touchscreen and as little mandatory computer use as possible" was a primary criterion.

    A new Alberta (Canada) company was started to produce a no-computer tractor, and they almost instantly sold out everything they had planned to manufacture in the first 2 or 3 years.

    ursa-ag.com/

    I think car companies could learn a thing or seventeen from that.

    #dumb #DumbThing

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  • j-r conlinjrconlin@mindof.jrconlin.com
    Aug 8, 2026, 3:58 AM

    @geos @cazabon

    It kinda does? There's no touch screen, no remote interface, no Apple or Google integration, or really anything. Heck even bluetooth is an option.

    It's dumb by design.

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  • oniononion@night.studio-2am.net
    Aug 8, 2026, 6:18 AM
    Talking about memory, GPU and disk space in the context of a car?
    Are these really listed criteria? My current car technically has some kind of computer in it, I suppose, but there's nothing I can do with it. It doesn't even have bluetooth.

    I always thought cars with computers are only the fancy and super expensive ones like Tesla. Surprised to see people talking about it like computerless cars are a "back to the roots" kind of thing...

    @jrconlin@mindof.jrconlin.com @cazabon@mindly.social
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  • ⁂ Fish Id Wardrobefishidwardrobe@mastodon.me.uk
    Aug 8, 2026, 11:45 AM

    @onion @cazabon @jrconlin first new car here; this is a "motability" subsidised lease vehicle.

    before i drive i only have to turn off (a) the beep every five seconds if it thinks you're 1mph over the speed limit, often wrong; (b) the beep every time the car crosses any white line drawn on the road for whatever reason.

    i have permanently turned off two systems that brake "for you", after incidents.

    in this model there is no camera pointing at your face.

    other drivers have it worse.

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  • C.cazabon@mindly.social
    Aug 8, 2026, 12:45 PM

    @onion @jrconlin

    Cars have contained computers - plural - for a long time now. They're mostly microcontrollers in embedded systems, such that a brand new car can have over a hundred of them. One example would be the ABS controller. Your car has multiple CAN busses - networks - for them to communicate over.

    There's a new thing coming through the car industry to consolidate all those into just a few, more powerful computers - basically containerizing all those specialty applications. I think the first vehicles with these designs are just coming off the lines right about now.

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  • Davi Ottenheimerflyingpenguin@infosec.exchange
    Aug 8, 2026, 6:40 AM

    @cazabon @jrconlin when I went to buy myself a "new" car, I found a mechanic who had a lot with dead old manual everything vehicles. asked him if I could buy one and get it running. he said he'd just give one to me and would be happy if I brought it to him for the routine service. that was 15 years ago. still running.

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  • @stevewfoldsstevewfolds@mastodon.world
    Aug 8, 2026, 7:15 AM

    @cazabon
    Bought a 2023 car that can be driven w/o taking eyes off the road. The LCD screen is not required. Kept old car which will turn 27 in November and is way more fun to drive.

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  • j-r conlinjrconlin@mindof.jrconlin.com
    Aug 8, 2026, 4:04 PM

    @murodegrizeco @cazabon

    Heh, I feel the same way, but I'd probably also want to get a jumpsuit and matching helmet so that I can live that James Bond Villain Hench-person lifestyle that this demands.

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  • Muro deGrizecomurodegrizeco@toad.social
    Aug 8, 2026, 4:37 PM

    @jrconlin

    James Bond Villain Hench-person lifestyle was all about shiftwork, doing logistics inside the secret island volcano lair where the rockets launch...

    Not the worst job.

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