Hmm, at the same time it was announced that Bridgestone will be sole tyre supplier for F1 in 2008, Microsoft won the bid to be the sole supplier of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) for F1 cars too. Don’t believe me? Read the news.

Yeah, OMFGWTFBBQ indeed. Microsoft and ECUs, right.. anyone have any clue as to Microsoft’s prior experience in ECUs?

Anyway, I believe with the upcoming MS ECU 2008, we can expect the following to happen whenever an F1 engine stalls on track:

  • Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) will appear on the tiny LCD screen on the driver’s steering wheel
  • Driver will have to press the 3-key sequence (Ctrl-Alt-Del) on their steering wheel to restart the ECU
  • The ECU will restart, showing Windows Vista splashscreen on the same tiny LCD before presenting the driver with a logon menu
  • Driver logs on to the team’s network server in the pit garage wirelessly (by using a USB mini keyboard stashed to the side of the driver’s legs in the cockpit)
  • Driver finally can start the engine by clicking on the Start -> Engine sequence. smiley

Of course, MS ECU 2008 will come in the following editions (in line with marketing Windows Vista editions):

  • MS ECU 2008 Ultimate - the full-featured edition includes MP3 and HD movie playback capabilities for the best in-drive entertainment. Suitable for big teams like McLaren, Ferrari and Renault
  • MS ECU 2008 Business - the edition for serious teams in the F1 business - BMW, Toyota, Honda
  • MS ECU 2008 Home Premium - the not-so-full-featured edition suitable for homegrown teams like Williams and Red Bull Racing
  • MS ECU 2008 Home Starter - the basic edition without any bells or whistles (or horns) for smaller outfits like Scuderia Torro Rosso, Super Aguri (Japanese language pack included)
  • MS ECU 2008 N Edition - the standard edition for use for all European races, due to Microsoft’s current anti-trust ruling by the EC. This edition will not include the bundled Windows Media Player, so drivers are free to install iTunes instead smiley