Elon Musk Owes Customers 6,500 Cars, So Why is he Smiling?

[Mycroft]

Fast Company: Elon Musk Owes Customers 6,500 Cars, So Why Is He Smiling? Oct 26, 2011

Lots of new articles and interviews. Probably helping out Chris Paine with his movie release.

Tesla's cars all run on a Linux architecture. How was the decision made to go with Linux?

It just seemed pretty obvious in Silicon Valley. Linux is free and it works very well.

We're pushing the envelope--there isn't going to be a 17-inch iPad out, I think, but there will be a 17-inch touchscreen computer in the Model S. And the screen has a better image than you get from a MacBook Pro; you might ask how you got that? Well, we saw the MacBook Pro's supply chain and we took away the limitations associated with laptop computers--which are very energy constraining. You've got viewing angle constraints, there are contrast limitations... all of those are aimed at minimizing the power usage. On the Model S, you've got an 85 kilowatt battery pack that will run the frickin' computer for a year. We took away those limitations. When you go from your laptop to the car, the car has a better screen.

You can look at the early days of the cell phone—like when you look at the original Wall Street movie where the guy is walking around with the brick phone with a lousy signal and 30 minutes of battery time and it was really expensive.

In those days, if you asked people if eventually everyone would have a portable phone with the power of a supercomputer you would be told “no way.” That's how it is when you have a new technology--you have to look at where it's headed. To quote Wayne Gretzky, “skate to where the puck's going to be.” That's how it is with electric cars.

Given that fact, we now have over 6500 reservations. It costs $5,000 to put down a reservation; you have to think about it, it's not like it's just $99 or something. We're actually sold out of our production next year and I think that's really great.

This guy is frickin' cool!

 

[dpeilow]

Tesla's cars all run on a Linux architecture. How was the decision made to go with Linux?

It just seemed pretty obvious in Silicon Valley. Linux is free and it works very well.

See, they do use stuff made in Finland...

 

[strider]

Good article. But all I can say is, bring back the prototype interior. It looks SOOO much better than the Betas!

 

[AnOutsider]

Good article. But all I can say is, bring back the prototype interior. It looks SOOO much better than the Betas!

Agreed , though I did wonder why yet another site is using outdated photos. Dang editors.

 

[Mycroft]

Don't blame the editor when Tesla can't even update the pictures ON IT'S OWN FRICKING WEBSITE!!! :cursing:

Is a professional photographer that expensive? I'm sure there's at least one marketing clown who owns a decent camera. But noooo. We have to settle for pics that reservation holders were able to snap and the few websites with the smarts to publish some decent pics. I BLAME BLANKENSHIP! He's a one-trick pony, (Apple stores). Hopefully they'll figure it out before the launch and get someone in there who knows marketing!

 

[Todd Burch]

Is a professional photographer that expensive? I'm sure there's at least one marketing clown who owns a decent camera.

I think Norbert should swoop in and save the day.