“Tesla is hot. It’s CEO is hot. I do, however, have some cause for concern,” Michael Gartenberg writes for iMore.
“Recently we’ve seen reports of at least two crashes attributable to Tesla’s ‘autopilot’ or ‘autonomous’ feature. Tesla says the feature is in beta. Beta software has a clear definition. Or it used to,” Gartenberg writes. “Time has changed, and the meanings differ. Beta software though still means ‘not finished.’ It still means ‘buggy.'”
“The problem I have is simple. If Gmail crashed in beta for you’re my life wasn’t affected. My life wasn’t in danger. Not so much with Tesla’s an their autonomous modes (that really aren’t autonomous). If you engage it, as many do, click through all the legalese, and then decide to take your hands off the wheel, that’s now my problem too. You see, we share public roads,” Gartenberg writes. “It’s hard to imagine Apple releasing any automotive feature that wasn’t considered finished, though. Done. Complete. That’s probably the best reason to think we won’t see an Apple car anytime soon. ”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “It just works” is critical for Apple Car’s success if its main selling point is autonomous driving. Even if it’s not the main point of Apple Car – if it’s energy efficiency or ride-sharing or something else – Apple should not ship this one until it’s ready for prime time from day one – unlike many products under CEO Tim Cook, including Maps, Apple TV (4th gen., no less) and Apple Watch.
