The vast majority are set up to require holding the switch in to shut down to avoid accidental shutdown. Vista Home systems may be different, but virtually every business computer I've worked on in since the advent of the ATX power supply has had the "hold to shut down" power switch, which is only used if the software shutdown sequence (either start button or Ctrl>Alt>Del) fails to shut it down.
You can often change it in the BIOS settings depending on the manufacturer. I can have a lot of fun changing the BIOS settings on the machine of an unsuspecting victim. Having your computer shut down by itself at the same time every day might rattle a few computer illiterate people.
TDD
On my keyless start car, you need the key fob to start it, but it will continue running just fine with the key fob out of the car.
IMO, you do not want to shut off the ignition with a run away engine. Too many cars will lock the steering wheel, giving you a whole new set of problems.
I've taught my wife and daughters to shift into neutral. That will keep the power steering and brakes alive and avoids the possibility of pushing on the gas instead of the brakes.
Does anyone know of vehicle where that wouldn't work? I've never seen one.
-- Doug
That's mean. I like it!
Tony wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net:
I'm busy but I'll squeeze you in and make time.
OK, I got the definitive answer from several clients who drive late model Lexus cars.
Yes - you can put the car in neutral while in motion. No, the engine will not over-rev - it is limited to 3500 RPM when not in gear (electronic fuel shut-off) To stop the engine you put your foot on the brake and punch the start button - shuts down within seconds. In gear or out? not sure if it will shut down in gear, but it CAN be put in neutral, then shut down.
There you have it.
How very intuitive. To stop it, you push the start button. Must've been designed by Microsoft.
Incredibly STUPID design. Who the hell is going to remember that in an emergency, if he even knew it to begin with?
Thanks for telling me one brand of cars to avoid.
Having lived with such a design for the last four years with my Infiniti, I find it very easy and intuitive. The actual label on the button is "Start/Stop". It works just like lots of electronics. If it's not running, pushing the button starts it. If it is running, pushing the button stops it.
I guess you could have separate start and stop buttons, but it doesn't seem necessary.
-- Doug
I had a guy ask me to check out a problem with his computer. He had a screwed up Outlook program and his deleted Email file was 2gb in size. Whenever he tried to access his Outlook program, the computer would hang. After I recovered his data and got his Email working again, he told me he didn't have time for me to straighten out everything so I told him not to try to access THIS file, don't click on THIS, it will hang up your machine. Of course you can guess what he did after I left.
TDD
This has been floating around The Web for years:
If Microsoft Built Cars
Every time they repainted the lines on the road, you'd have to buy a new car. Occasionally your car would just die on the highway for no reason. Accept this, restart and drive on.
Occasionally, executing a maneuver would cause the car to stop and fail to restart. You'd have to re-install the engine. For some strange reason, you'd just accept this too.
You could only have one person in the car at a time, unless you bought "Car 95" or "Car NT". But then you'd have to buy more seats.
Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was twice as reliable, five times as fast, twice as easy to drive - but it would only run on five percent of the roads.
The oil, engine, gas and alternator warning lights would be replaced with a single "General Car Fault" light.
People would get excited about "new" features in Microsoft cars, forgetting completely that they had been available in other cars for years.
We'd all have to switch to Microsoft gas and auto fluids.
New seats would force everyone to have the same size butt.
The airbag system would say, "Are you sure?" before going off.
If you were involved in a crash, you would have no idea what happened.
Microsoft wouldn't build their own engines, but form a cartel with their engine suppliers. The engine would be a side-valve design so you could still use Model T Ford parts on it.
Microsoft cars would have a special radio/cassette player which would only be able to listen to Microsoft FM and play Microsoft cassettes.
Microsoft would do well, because even though they don't own any roads, all road manufacturers would give away Microsoft cars for free!
If you couldn't afford to buy a new car, you could borrow your friend's and copy it.
Whenever you bought a car, you would have to reorganize the ignition a few days until it worked.
You would need an upgrade to run cars on a highway next to each other.
TDD
Like in industrial plants all over the world. A green button for "start" and a red or BIG red button for "stop".
TDD
Most, if not all cars have two "off" positions. Off shuts off the engine, second 'off' locks steering an allows removal of the key. I don't know of any, and I have driven a bunch, that lock on the first position.
Harry K
Do you _really_ think that someone who owns and drives a car doesnt' know how to shut it off in an emergency? Of course a rental is a different proposition.
Harry K
What part of 'keyless ignition system' did you not see?
-- aem sends...
People who drive Lexus aren't interested in reality.
Unfortunately formerly sensible companies like BMW are starting to feel like they have to copy the overgadgetization of the Japanese (Idrive, anyone?)
would be nice to be able to buy a good, basic, no-frills car with excellent chassis dynamics and road feel, but those days are apparently gone.
nate
Ford is doing the same - and by the way things are going pretty soon all the "higher end" vehicles will have it for sure. Most of the low end wannabees already do.
The "start button" gadget is Euro from the F1 world.
And the keyless locks the car IN PARK ONLY. When the car is in park with the engine shut off the steering locks
Hey, my '49 Chevy had a start button, and that was FAR from Euro :)
My Stude is one year to new to have same... "key starting" was a new and exciting feature in 1955...
nate
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