Best supermini with a "vanity" wishlist

bigjl

Strider590 wrote: »

Ford are taking a leaf out of Apples book, patent trolling to control the progress of technology and drip feeding to maximise profit.

Heated screens on Jaguars, Land Rovers and Range Rovers seem very similar to the Ford heated screens of years gone by.

Likely due to Ford having owned them for a time.

What exactly is wrong with keeping your tech to yourself, I am sure if any other Car Maker wished to use it they could pay Ford for the priva privilege?

Or are some manufacturers too tight or too arrogant to do so?

Strider590

bigjl wrote: »

What exactly is wrong with keeping your tech to yourself?

Patent trolling harms innovation and holds back the human race.

There are drugs and medical advancements that will cure some of the worst diseases known to man, but nobody can produce them because they're under patent.

There are companies that own patents for things they have no intention of ever creating, they hold the patent purely so that they can make money suing anyone who does.

bigjl

Strider590 wrote: »

Ford are taking a leaf out of Apples book, patent trolling to control the progress of technology and drip feeding to maximise profit.

Heated screens on Jaguars, Land Rovers and Range Rovers seem very similar to the Ford heated screens of years gone by.

Likely due to Ford having owned them for a time.

What exactly is wrong with keeping your tech to yourself, I am sure if any other Car Maker wished to use it they could pay Ford for the priva privilege?

Or are some manufacturers too tight or too arrogant to do so?

AdrianC

Strider590 wrote: »

There are drugs and medical advancements that will cure some of the worst diseases known to man, but nobody can produce them because they're under patent.

"Cure" might be a tad strong...

But, anyway, pharmaceutical patents do exist, yes, and restrict manufacture and sale to the companies which spent billions on researching them. Is recouping your R&D expenditure a bad thing?

Even then, the patents only last a certain time, after which generics are widely reverse-engineered and marketed.

If you're suggesting that there are cancer- and AIDS-cure drugs out there, with a lid being deliberately kept because the industry earns too much in palliative medicine, then you're in cloud-cuckoo land.

Tilt

This maybe of interest to you, especially if a Fiat 500 is on your list. But also there's the Panda...

http://www.fiat.co.uk/fiat-sales-event

bigjl

Strider590 wrote: »

Patent trolling harms innovation and holds back the human race.

There are drugs and medical advancements that will cure some of the worst diseases known to man, but nobody can produce them because they're under patent.

There are companies that own patents for things they have no intention of ever creating, they hold the patent purely so that they can make money suing anyone who does.

So if you invented something you would let everybody us it for free?

Do you understand the concept of "profit"?

An awful lot of technology that has been developed in recent decades was done so to make profit or increase profit through increased sales.

Not everybody is like Volvo who invented the modern seatbelt in the late 50's, but allowed everybody to use the technology.

Drugs patents are time limited, which is why there are so many "generic" versions of Viagra.

Can you name the companies and the patents involved to back up your statement?

nimbo

The Yaris - new currently has 0% finance.

Has cruise control - I have no idea how to use it.

Comes with reverse camera as standard. Parking sensors are extra. I didn't want them as the beeping drive me mad. I haven't driven much since passing my test 3 years ago and they've been great for my confidence. I can see there are no small children / gnomes behind me to run over.

No heated windscreen.

I have the middle range for gadgets and it has a DAB radio - but no CD player - boo.

I don't know if it has heated wing mirrors - didn't even know they were a thing.

StaffieTerrier

nimbo wrote: »

The Yaris - new currently has 0% finance.

Has cruise control - I have no idea how to use it.

Comes with reverse camera as standard. Parking sensors are extra. I didn't want them as the beeping drive me mad. I haven't driven much since passing my test 3 years ago and they've been great for my confidence. I can see there are no small children / gnomes behind me to run over.

No heated windscreen.

I have the middle range for gadgets and it has a DAB radio - but no CD player - boo.

I don't know if it has heated wing mirrors - didn't even know they were a thing.

Yes, the new Yaris Icon does have heated wing mirrors as standard. Cruise control and DAB radio are also standard on the 2016 spec Yaris Icons. Reversing cameras are standard across the range.

custardy

nimbo wrote: »

The Yaris - new currently has 0% finance.

Has cruise control - I have no idea how to use it.

Comes with reverse camera as standard. Parking sensors are extra. I didn't want them as the beeping drive me mad. I haven't driven much since passing my test 3 years ago and they've been great for my confidence. I can see there are no small children / gnomes behind me to run over.

No heated windscreen.

I have the middle range for gadgets and it has a DAB radio - but no CD player - boo.

I don't know if it has heated wing mirrors - didn't even know they were a thing.

CD's? Bluetooth audio/ipod or USB audio are far more convenient.
I stream directly off my phone in an 06 plate car!

agrinnall

My 2012 Fiesta Centura had all of the "required" features, my 2015 Fiesta Titanium has all except the reversing camera, but also has auto folding mirrors and keyless entry. I didn't think I used the camera much when I had it, but now that I don't I realised that it was quite useful at times, although if the camera lens was dirty or facing into the sun it was useless anyway. I wouldn't pay any extra to have it again though.