"We're excited to see Ford's great innovations developed on top of our Microsoft Auto platform that continue to improve how people spend time in their car, " says Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division.

ENGADGET: Sync adds turn-by-turn, traffic reports for some 2010 Fords

Riding high on its previously-introduced sister products -- the Handheld PC and Palm PC platforms, now dead and transformed into Windows Mobile, respectively -- Microsoft's Auto PC initiative was promised to herald a revolution for in-car entertainment and productivity.

ENGADGET: Bill Gates: top ten greatest hits (and misses) - the Microsoft years

In Japan, where Softbank is the favored partner for U.S. high-tech firms, Microsoft introduced CarPoint, its Internet auto locator service after offering 50% to Softbank and another 10% to Yahoo Japan, where CarPoint will be the exclusive car-buying service.

FORBES: Master of the Internet