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Old December 19th 17, 03:11 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_2_]
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Posts: 54
Default New HDD, has corrupted Data - AGAIN

In message , Paul
writes:
[]
I have a few 18 year old machines, still in mint condition.

No complaints. The installed OS still runs, just like it used to.


Yes, in the support department I worked in until March, we had one that,
when you turned it on, did a ticking memory test (remember those?),
until it got up to its massive 4M (IIRR) of memory, and then loaded DOS
4.x from its (10M it might have been) hard disc. It was one of those
heavy old machines with a machined metal case, and the huge power lever
switch on the side - original IBM style I think. It was kept to test
equipment (the company made avionics) of the same vintage; since it
worked, and we only got those units in once in a blue moon, it was not
worth rewriting all the software and redesigning the test hardware to
run on anything more modern.
[]
I was booting something just yesterday, and in the
boot log on the screen it said "18493843248 GB disk".
Then the next line said "this is a really big disk".


What, those actual words? I like it when I come across someone with a
sense of humour!
[]
The main problem with old computers, is there's no
decent web browser to use on them. That's why the
machines sit in the Junk Room.


Indeed. Or rather, there are decent web browsers for them, but there are
few websites that will now run with those browsers. (As a browser,
Firefox 2 - or even Netscape 6 to 9 - are fine. It's just that web pages
these days are mostly made using compilers that assume more capabilities
on the part of the browser, even when not necessary.)

Such machines can have standalone uses, such as the one above described,
or controlling hardware (such as machine tools), or even as servers -
print, storage, etc. - in even more modern networks, they don't _have_
to sit in the junk room. (There are even the usual stories about servers
- the story usually says Linux - which have been walled up somewhere,
and continued for years.)

Paul

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

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