Regular Automotive Software Updates May Be Here Sooner Than You Think

Regular Automotive Software Updates May Be Here Sooner Than You Think

Computers can be upgraded with software and peripherals, and smartphones are able to add new functions by downloading an app. So why not a similar capability for the device that wields more processing power than either of those?

That would be your car, of course.

In a world where technologies come and go as often as Katy Perry changes her wardrobe, automakers are pressed to keep pace. To ensure that the growing array of electronics — controlling anything from navigation systems to sophisticated antilock brakes — do not become obsolete before the car's first oil change, engineers are creating vehicles that can adapt to new technologies and are flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen future developments.

Read Article

SteveSteve - 2/22/2011 11:29:28 AM
+2 Boost
Once upon a time, when you bought a camera, or an audio disk player, or an electronic musical instrument (synthesizer) -- just about anything electronic -- it was "ready for prime time" the day it showed up on the shelves.

Then firmware updates became a reality (e.g., swapping out ROMs, or burning EPROMS), and manufacturers no longer needed to make sure their product's debut was truly "done." From the consumer experience, we started buying products that came with problems, right out of the box. But that was "okay," because the manufacturer would eventually issue an update, which would *hopefully* fix the problem you discovered... and the many you had not yet discovered... and *hopefully* without introducing any new problems.
Welcome to a world in which consumer products are more like your PC than you'd want :-(

I'm not saying that software updates are a bad thing, but the track record has shown us that what ends up being delivered to us has a much higher risk of being problematic, right out of the box. And that's not a good thing.

On the plus side, my high-end AV receiver got a really nice software upgrade ($100) which added audible features that made it sound even better than it originally did. For the price of a $100 software upgrade, a two year old product gained the capabilities and delivered the sonic quality (and features) of the latest models. And that's a Good Thing(TM).
Copyright 2026 AutoSpies.com, LLC