Car computers would open up a whole new sector of jobs. People could be trained in and develop a whole new computer niche. They could make up new software and things that are specifically for car computers. This would create new jobs and car companies could hire IT people to develop systems and software for their cars and give each maker its own unique system or features.

These car computer systems would have to be protected like any other computers against malware, spyware, hacking etc. There needs to be antivirus software that ideally can be automatically downloaded to the hard drive through an automatic update system like there is on normal home Pc's. There would also be antivirus software that people could buy and upload to the computers. Hackers are very crafty so there would need to be people constantly monitoring to see what people are putting out there to try and hack into peoples car computers.

It would be cool if the car computers could have a database for storing all of the different maps and directions input into it by the driver. The database could store a set of directions and map once it is input into the system and it will make it easier for a driver to recall directions and maps that they use often.

We talked about bandwith in class this week. These car computers would need to have bandwith that is greater than or equal to that of 3G phones, such as the IPhone. It needs that bandwith so it can process information fast and download things such as maps quickly from the internet so the driver has what he/she needs fast so they can get to their destination.

this week we talked about hard drives and analog to digital conversion. Since car theft is something everyone has to worry about, these in car computers need a way that their hard drives can be wiped in case the car is stolen. One would hope that no one would keep really important stuff on a car computer but we know people will so there should be a measure in place that if they car is not started using a special key the hard drive will wipe itself. Or it could be something less destructive, such as a password controlled entry. Upon starting the car, the driver needs to enter a password and username to be able to access the computer and its contents.

These computers would have to have top of the line components, so they would need to have LCD screens, powerful processors, and powerful graphics and memory cards (although not as important). The display needs to be very clear and easy to see so someone driving could easily follow directions without impairing their ability to drive safely. It would also be good to find a way to make these computers environmentally friendly since there are millions of cars on the road. Manufacturers should find a way to make the parts that is green friendly and doesn't contribute to the current problems of waste and energy use.

Storage

This car computing system would need to have a great deal of storage capacity. It needs space to remember maps, settings, programs as well as even songs and saved radio programs. It could be equipped with a USB port for flash drives so people can save their maps and stuff and transport them to other vehicles. This computer system will need a pretty big memory so it can do all of the proper security and decision making functions that the car requires. There can even be a space for saving your own music to and recording programs that you hear on the radio.