Blog: Claudia Imhoff

« Just Call Me CA | Main | November's Weird News Stories »

And You Thought Driving and Talking on Your Cell Phone Was Distracting!

Ford Motor Company recently announced that it will soon offer a complete wireless office in its F-series pickup truck. I am not kidding...

And what does this baby come with? Read on.

A Ford F-250 Super Duty truck with a mobile office installed was shown at a car show in Las Vegas last week. It contained:

-- a wireless-equipped computer containing a full suite of Office products (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
-- a printer
-- a global positioning system (in case you run off the road while fiddling with your mobile office)
-- and add-ons like a digital camera and credit card scanner

The system uses a flat Stargate Mobile computer, powered off the truck's battery and mounted on a stand between the driver's and passenger's seat. It has a touch-screen option eliminating the need for a keyboard or mouse - oh thank God for small favors -- and stays connected to the Internet via broadband wireless cellular technology. The cost? A measly $3,000.

And here's an interesting snippet. According to Patty Dilger, Director at Microsoft (they are working with Ford to develop the mobile office), "It's super rugged. You can drop it in the dirt, pick it up, brush it off and you're good to go." Man, I wish my laptop could do that. One little fall from the airport security table and it's a goner!

Just think -- now you can create that all important PPT presentation your boss just asked you for, bring up your email AND answer it, and take pictures of the car you just rear-ended, all with ease!

I guess the only question left is -- Why a truck? Would not have been my first choice...

Yours in BI success,

Claudia

Share: