Alan Sargent wrote: > > At 03:00 PM 4/07/03 -0600, Mick Ring wrote: > > >.... I estimate that this machine would sell for about $20,000. > > > >Although this list borders on the ridiculous, the point I'm making is valid. > >Apple has to draw the line on legacy technologies if for no other reason > >than cost. > > This was sparked off by complaints that OSX doesn't support floppies.
It isn't _quite_ that simple, altho' you're basically right... Apple has or is about to do the non-support bit and delete a number of other ports, etc., from their hardware/CPU offerings. I have no problem with being told, yes, Apple supports [pick one!] but it's up to you to d/l the driver or go to some other place for the driver and add-on hardware. I think it's the total inability to allow an older piece of hardware to work with a newer CPU that's so frustrating. To blithely pass off the floppy disc as an anachronism, and unworthy of current machines, what about those of us who have a number of old programs that still work, and whose maker had provided floppies for their application. An application on a 1.4 meg floppy being copied onto a 650 meg CD is like keeping your nail clippers in a trash dumpster! I don't have 15 or 20 nail clippers, I have one. It doesn't fit into a convenient category, so even if I labeled the dumpster "personal care products" or anything else, what ELSE would I keep in it? Categorization and locating the item later becomes a real problem. A DVD is going to be worse in that regard. A single floppy with ID is useful, even tho' it is subject to a lot of potential problems. I know that's an oversimplification, but you see what I'm getting at. I guess that's getting close to being a meaningless argument, isn't it, what with the advent of inexpensive, small and very high capacity hard drives. One can just keep all their floppy data or applications in some nook and crannie on the H.D. -- or on a partition of the H.D. if need be. Anyhow, even if I did keep my old discs intact, I'd need a supplementary drive to play them with, and a driver to be able to access the data. So, what I'm hearing here is, that can still be done, if you really need to do it. I think that's great. I know precious little about the inner workings of my computer - many of we Mac owners are that way - so if Apple doesn't offer some given thing on a new CPU, I tend to think it's not possible to make it work anymore. Unless and until I read info like you folks are offering here. It's much appreciated. keith whaley > Since > Apple obviously could provide a floppy driver at negligible cost (as it is > supported by BSD Unix, the basis for OSX, it's not going to be hard), then > the question is why they haven't? The anger comes from those who suspect > that it's just a way to pressure people to buy new Macs. That's probably > part of it, but more likely is that it simplifies support -- they don't > have to answer questions about floppies. But it would show a bit of > compassion if they simply offered an OSX driver as an unsupported download. > In any case, third parties offer drivers, such as > <http://www.darwin-development.org/floppy/>, derived from Copland via > MkLinux. -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
