4 ms·

The hardware world has been taking notes from the software world the last few years.

Ajedi32 4y ago
I think it's more that as software continues to "eat the world"[1], problems that only exist in the software world are becoming more and more pervasive in other areas of our lives. Even though this paywall affects hardware, I'll bet it's implemented in software. [1]: https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/ https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world...
- funcDropShadow 4y ago
  > I'll bet it's implemented in software. That would be an accomplishment if they did it in hardware. ;-)
  - inkcapmushroom 4y ago
    I'm picturing a dollar bill slot on the dash like a vending machine.
- Ajedi32 4y ago
  Also, food for thought: this means that any effective legal solutions to these problems in the hardware world could probably also be applied to solve those same problems in the software world. The "right to repair" movement, for example, seems on the surface to be closely analogous to freedom 1 of the Free Software Foundation's four essential freedoms[1]. [1]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html#four-freedoms https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html#four-freedoms
treis 4y ago
It reflects the continual lowering of manufacturing costs compared to design costs. When we're talking about heated seats there's maybe $2 worth of a resistor + wiring to heat them. At some point it's cheaper to make them all heated and reduce your SKUs & design cost. In the long run customers aren't going to pay more. The auto industry is highly competitive and that competition will keep profit margins in check.
- dsfyu404ed 4y ago
  We're going to come full circle. In the olden days they used common parts because the manufacturing and the tracking of the parts in your inventory system was expensive. Now we're gonna push to reduce part counts because the cost of the engineer and the amortized cost of corporate process in which he works are expensive.
quantified 4y ago
The "golden screwdriver" is attributed to IBM mainframe techs from many years ago. Nothing new here except the drivetrain.

I think it's more that as software continues to "eat the world"[1], problems that only exist in the software world are becoming more and more pervasive in other areas of our lives. Even though this paywall affects hardware, I'll bet it's implemented in software. [1]: https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/ https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world...

funcDropShadow 4y ago
> I'll bet it's implemented in software. That would be an accomplishment if they did it in hardware. ;-)
- inkcapmushroom 4y ago
  I'm picturing a dollar bill slot on the dash like a vending machine.
Ajedi32 4y ago
Also, food for thought: this means that any effective legal solutions to these problems in the hardware world could probably also be applied to solve those same problems in the software world. The "right to repair" movement, for example, seems on the surface to be closely analogous to freedom 1 of the Free Software Foundation's four essential freedoms[1]. [1]: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html#four-freedoms https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html#four-freedoms

treis 4y ago

It reflects the continual lowering of manufacturing costs compared to design costs. When we're talking about heated seats there's maybe $2 worth of a resistor + wiring to heat them. At some point it's cheaper to make them all heated and reduce your SKUs & design cost. In the long run customers aren't going to pay more. The auto industry is highly competitive and that competition will keep profit margins in check.

dsfyu404ed 4y ago
We're going to come full circle. In the olden days they used common parts because the manufacturing and the tracking of the parts in your inventory system was expensive. Now we're gonna push to reduce part counts because the cost of the engineer and the amortized cost of corporate process in which he works are expensive.

quantified 4y ago

The "golden screwdriver" is attributed to IBM mainframe techs from many years ago. Nothing new here except the drivetrain.