On Sat June 23 2007 20:57, NoOp wrote: > Prefacing with an open apology to the list for my "tangent" regarding > OOo and the old 75Mhz/32Mb machine; it just took my by complete surprise > when comparing the two side-by-side. And yes, I should actually have > compared apples to apples... > > On 06/23/2007 01:50 AM, Frank Cox wrote: > > On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:39:53 +1000 "Adrian Try" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > wrote: > >> I reckon my old DOS software running on an original XP with 512 KB > >> or RAM would leave your Pentium in the dust! > > > > For a good time (as it were), take a look at http://www.dosemu.org > > I have dosmsu (and FreeDOS) installed; works great! > > > I use that on a regular basis. Here is an article that I wrote > > regarding this very topic, if anyone is interested. > > > > http://www.melvilletheatre.com/articles > > Excellent article. Thanks for the link! > > >> The original GeoWorks was written in assembler. > > > > Unless my memory is faulty (which is always a possibility) I think > > Geoworks was originally written on Sun computers and cross-compiled > > to run on DOS machines. > > > > I just checked this on Wikipedia, though, and it says that GeoWorks > > was written in assembler. Odd. I wonder where I got the idea that > > it originated as a SunOS application or was written on a SunOS > > machine. > > > > I actually used to sell GeoWorks. It was bundled with Vtech Laser > > computer for a while, along with DOS 4.0. Cool stuff indeed, at the > > time. I remember being in total awe of their word processor with all > > of those fonts, and thinking that a laser printer would be a lovely > > thing to use with that setup. Of course, at the time a cheap laser > > printer was over $10,000 so there wasn't much chance of that > > happening anywhere near me. > > > > WordPerfect/DOS is a pure assembler program, and is (still) viewed by > > many as being the ultimate word processor program. Apparently a > > large number of professional novelists write with WordPerfect/DOS. > > I had originally thought of the HP Vectra as a boat anchor... but I > think I'll keep it around for awhile. Now if I can just find a solid > tiny linux to put on it I can use it as a print server and use to help > heat the house this winter :-) > > Gary > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
When I first read your piece, I thought 'Finally! someone has addressed the issue of bloatware.' Other comments tempered your initial comments, of course, but I think the underlying foundation is valid. IBM blessed us with a standard computer design, which has evolved over the years without radical changes, therefore the PC of 10 years ago with respect to the ones of today are very similiar: less memory, less speed, less I/O. In the name of recycling, we should be able to use these computers, in a similiar capacity, just with fewer software features. Unfortunately, although much is said about using Linux on older computers, Linux is requiring more and more memory and speed. Fewer of these computers would be destoyed, instead they would be 'reused'. In order to use these old computers, we need more software written in assembler. When the x86 based computer is more than 85% of the hardware platforms in service today, I think writing for 'cross-platform' is a red herring. An effort could be made to write libraries in assembler, and use assembler for the portions of programs that are repetitive, and speed sensitive. This would bring these older PCs back to life. 32-64 MB PCs could be used for applications like OOo. Most of the newer features would not be available, but the core features which are used the most would be there. This effort would eliminate the so-called 'digital divide'. If I can go to a thrift store and buy a 150Mhz Pentium with 32 MB of RAM 2 GB hard drive for $35.00, and buy a cd off the net with linux and a tiny OOo for $10.00, there is no excuse for the 'low income' population segment to not be skilled in the use of the core OOo features. This would open up job opportunities and the use of these computers in elementary/high schools. By the way, I went to a user group meeting in the nineties, where a high level Intel person spoke, and told us that there was a major difference between the 75Mhz pentium, and those of greater speeds, not just the Mhz. As I say in Foxpro/DOS, set soapbox off, -- John R. Sowden AMERICAN SENTRY SYSTEMS, INC. Residential & Commercial Alarm Service UL Listed Central Station Serving the San Francisco Bay Area Since 1967 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.americansentry.net --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
