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The Computing Evolution of the Modern Automobile
Cars are becoming more electric and more like our smartphones and less like the machines of the past, but is this progress?
There’s a cliche phrase that many people will say as they get older. That phrase is “they don’t build them like they used to”. Usually, this is in the description of products that we buy that seem to be less durable than ones of previous generations. You see this a lot in home appliances these days, where people will remember a refrigerator or dishwasher that lasted decades and frown upon the idea that they have to replace a modern appliance after 5 years or so.
These days every element of our lives is powered by some sort of computer. Even Bluetooth headphones have microprocessors in them now. One specific segment of products that are continually becoming more and more computer integrated is cars. With every new generation of vehicles, it seems that there are more smart features being added and what used to be a marvel of machinery has become an evolution of the computer. But the question then becomes if this is the right way forward.
