Minor things that bother you

[thenetwork]

Advertisers who have been recently HEAVILY using popular music from the 1960s through 1980s in their pitches.  Yes, I do realize that their intended markets were not alive when those songs were first released . . .

Mike

And many of these songs are rarely played anymore on commercial radio stations, because their owners claim that they are not popular anymore or is "too old".

Go figure!

[kkt]

Also the various things that used to just 'come with the package' and now require separate subscriptions (ie, full power from the engine).

Mike

Huh? The only things on a car that I know of that come with an optional subscription is satellite radio and OnStar.

Not that you buy a Volkswagen, but they are an example of subscription based extra horsepower:

https://fortune.com/2025/08/19/volkswagen-horsepower-subscription-economy-cost-features/

That bullshit would be a dealbreaker for me.  Paying extra for the guacamole at Chipotle or the extra shot at Starbucks flies because those things otherwise wouldn't be on your plate or in your cup.  Even with satellite radio and OnStar, while you're paying for the hardware regardless of whether you use it, the justification for a paid subscription is that you're paying for content and outside service.  But extra horsepower and seat heaters/coolers?  EVERYTHING needed for that is in the car and, again, you're already paying for it.  They're not beaming the extra horsepower through the air to the car.

I heard of an IBM mainframe computer in the 1960s.  All the IBMs were leased at that time, and all maintenance was done by IBM techs; the customer never even opened the case.  There was an option to increase the clock speed by 30% for an extra charge.  When a customer wanted it, the service tech came, opened the case, and clipped one wire from point to point on a circuit board.  Tada!  Faster computer!

One of IBMs customers was an academic site and the grad students figured out how the speedup was accomplished.  They cut the wire, and just before the IBM service tech came by for their regular maintenance they'd replace the wire, then take it away again when the tech was gone.

[mgk920]

Advertisers who have been recently HEAVILY using popular music from the 1960s through 1980s in their pitches.  Yes, I do realize that their intended markets were not alive when those songs were first released . . .

Mike

And many of these songs are rarely played anymore on commercial radio stations, because their owners claim that they are not popular anymore or is "too old".

Go figure!

Sounds to me like a flaw in the copyright law, as well.

Mike

[kphoger]

All the IBMs were leased at that time

And, if I were leasing a vehicle, then I'd have no problem paying an additional fee to have increased power.  But buying it outright isn't the same as leasing it.

[vdeane]

The default size of a Word window is quite tiny - not even large enough for the File menu to show in its entirety.  And unlike other programs, Windows won't remember your last window size for the next time it opens, either.

Do you generally open things in non-maximized windows? The reason I ask is because I run Word maximized, usually on my left-side monitor but sometimes in two maximized windows on both at the same time. It always reopens in a maximized window and the only thing that varies is that it sometimes opens on the wrong screen if I mess up and close the one on the right side last. I have dual 24-inch monitors and I could almost use even larger ones to run Word maximized because we use tracked changes and comment bubbles almost constantly and I also keep the Navigation and Styles panes open on the sides of the Word window. So an even larger monitor would allow more space for the comment bubbles in the right-side margin.

Actually yes.  I don't usually use maximized windows unless I specifically need the full screen area.

All the IBMs were leased at that time

And, if I were leasing a vehicle, then I'd have no problem paying an additional fee to have increased power.  But buying it outright isn't the same as leasing it.

And there's probably a legitimate case there that more power = more wear and tear or something.

[kphoger]

And there's probably a legitimate case there that more power = more wear and tear or something.

And probably higher insurance for the leasing agent.

[thenetwork]

All the IBMs were leased at that time

And, if I were leasing a vehicle, then I'd have no problem paying an additional fee to have increased power.  But buying it outright isn't the same as leasing it.

What about older, used police cars that are sold to the public without all the cop stuff? 

Those "interceptor vehicles" must have something either attached/detached or turned on/off to prevent the civilian from using the engine for the speeds the cops could do. I don't beloeve they swap engines before they are sold to civilians.

[Max Rockatansky]

All the IBMs were leased at that time

And, if I were leasing a vehicle, then I'd have no problem paying an additional fee to have increased power.  But buying it outright isn't the same as leasing it.

What about older, used police cars that are sold to the public without all the cop stuff? 

Those "interceptor vehicles" must have something either attached/detached or turned on/off to prevent the civilian from using the engine for the speeds the cops could do. I don't beloeve they swap engines before they are sold to civilians.

Most cop cars aren't all that fast.  The reason the Crown Victoria was so popular was due to it being body on frame and easy to repair.  The Ford Modular 4.6L V8 could be had on several cars and wasn't anything special. 

[kphoger]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure most police departments just buy whatever beefy V6 model is available.  Before auction, they remove all the police doodads—like gun racks, computer screens, and stuff—but there's no way they're spending thousands of dollars to modify the vehicle before auction.  Any parts modifications they've installed would likely be to make it more durable under all sorts of driving scenarios, not to make it go really really fast.

[1995hoo]

A former work colleague of mine had (may still have, but I doubt it) a Crown Vic Police Interceptor Package (it had the "Police Interceptor" badge on the rear) that ran on compressed natural gas. Why? He lived in Prince William County, Virginia, but worked in downtown DC (and later in Rosslyn just across the Potomac). The CNG-powered car was eligible for a "Clean Special Fuel" license plate that allowed him to drive solo in the HOV lanes. That exemption no longer exists, which is one reason I doubt he still has the car. Plus the car would be exceptionally old by now.

That is the only time I've ever heard of a cop car modified to run on CNG. I strongly suspect it was modified by someone else who bought it at an auction. My former colleague said he bought it off eBay Motors from a guy in Atlanta.