Right now, the most advanced computers in cars are on the devices many drivers already have in their pockets when they get behind the wheel.
Smartphones and tablets have outpaced the in-car dashboard computer, thanks to quicker development times and more user-friendly interfaces. Now car companies are working hard to catch up. The next generation of dashboard touchscreens, dubbed "infotainment" systems by the carmakers, are already showing up in commercially available vehicles.
As Consumer Reports noted this month, these systems can frustrate motorists when they're buggy or overly complicated. This is one reason why carmakers are now approaching them like intuitive, app-laded smartphones. Chevrolet's MyLink is developing an in-car app store where drivers can get familiar tools such as social-location app Glympse, streaming-music app iHeartRadio and others.
And Volvo's Sensus Connected Touch system goes beyond the usual entertainment offerings to offer historical and cultural information about passing landmarks while turning the car into a Wi-Fi hotspot and a mobile-payment system for parking lots.
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