BMW locks Mac users out of information site; contact info here

“Just try this URL and see what you get: [url=http://www.bmwtechinfo.com]http://www.bmwtechinfo.com[/url]. This is a Web site designed to allow independent auto technicians and BMW customers access to technical information for cars they work on or own, but someone has designed it to be Windows-only,” writes Senior Editor John H. Farr over at Applelinks.

“I am livid. We don’t drive Yugos. And we don’t do Windows. We are Mac users. And Mac users are more likely than the average schmo to be able to recognize quality products. To have BMW even consider locking out Mac users has to be a serious mistake, somebody really dropped the ball, if there ever was a ball at all. Give out the email links!” says SteveJack, our own opinion columnist when woken out of a sound sleep to hear about this idiocy.

Here is the site, try it on a Mac: [url=http://www.bmwtechinfo.com]http://www.bmwtechinfo.com[/url]

If your stuck on Windows at work, this is what Mac users see:
[url=http://www.bmwtechinfo.com/tiscode/helpers/wrong_browser.asp?bname=Netscape&verno=0&winos=no]http://www.bmwtechinfo.com/tiscode/helpers/wrong_browser.asp?bname=Netscape&verno=0&winos=no[/url]

It reads, “We’re sorry, but the BMW TIS website was designed for Internet Explorer 5.0+ and Netscape

14 Comments

  1. The site is really badly designed as well as badly coded. If you use Safari to get in with the debug menu setting the user agent to IE6 Win, you’ll see that you’re not actually missing much.

  2. Well being that I am currently looking at one of the new Mini Coopers (a BMW product) I decided to complain to them about it. It’s not fair for those who don’t have a Windows machine at home to access important information about BMW products!

  3. Using Safari, as soon as you see the window appear, click on Safari’s Stop (X) button. It froze the page, and I was able to view and use it (if I wanted to).

    With Billy Gates starting his own “Switch” campaign (like the other ideas he steals) and in an obvious state of desperate panic (perhaps iOffice is about to be released, then he’s REALLY screwed), I’m sure he will try to pay people some serious cash to add that line of HTML code on their web pages. Saddly, I am sure many will go for the money.

  4. No doubt that this kind of restriction/exclusion from a fair competition is a first sign of weakness and it’s easy to understand for me why (micro)soft is so afraid of loosing their tentacles, which sooner or later it WILL happen. Besides, it’s hard to believe they will EVER be openminded and willing to face a fair competition based on real value and potential for innovation, stability, good taste, thus they are doomed of always trying this kind of lame, stinky, low level trickery, which is destined to failure. I think they truly deserve their name, don’t you think? ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> so small, it will become neglijable by the day. The wounded beast has not much yet to live… I’ll drink to that, cheers!!

  5. Well there’s always Acura, Audi, Infiniti, Lexus and Mercedes Benz.

    Just who does BMW think they are anyway? haha.
    Have you seen the “iDrive” in the new 7 series? It may have stolen from Apples naming convention but its a windows ui at its worst.

  6. Told um that the next time I buy a car It sure won’t be BMW. Which is the truth. And yea they sure do want a lot of info, but what do you expect from the country that brought us the Gestapo.

  7. Well, BMW North America is nothing if not consistent. The mechanicals of the cars are great, if you don’t ever have to have a BMW shop work on it. Have had mine into about 7 different locations for service. Each and every time out, something has been wrong, or worse than when I brought it in…with the exception of one paint shop at one un-disclosed BMW shop on the east coast of Florida.

    This time, had a driving light catch a rock…the light lost…after going through 3 dealerships, and one special order, finally got the light…but no one in any of the locations had ever changed that light on the model I have…so, one technicial gave me this web address for the technical manuale, so I can change the light myself…unfortunately, my whole family has shifted over to Apple’s starting 6 months ago…

    Great?…no…consistent…yes…

    Love the car, can’t stand the organization…at least the North America group…Oh, and don’t let them (BMW North America) know you have a complaint, they could’nt care less…

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