[eflyguy]

I remember reading a while back that some of the IBM computers the FAA used were replaced by newer ones running an emulator so they could run the original programming. Writing a good emulator is easier than writing new flight software.

That is actually substantially more safe and reliable in many cases. The code could be so complex, it would be a massive task and very risky to try and replicate it. I have not worked with FAA directly, but seen the same in other industries.

 

[LDM]

" . . . My computer is very slow and need help . . . "

Is it plugged in?

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

How is the choke set? You may be running too rich. Also, press the primer bulb three times before you pull the rope.

Kidding aside, I still have my Apple //e. Fire it up now and then for nostalgia's sake. Amazing how much was accomplished with that hardware.

 

[eflyguy]

Amazing how much was accomplished with that hardware.

I wrote a "space invaders" clone on a ZX-81 when in high school. It was ugly, and I had to type in the machine code by hand every time because the cassette tape wasn't reliable, but it was functional. I'd leave that sucker powered on for weeks!

More of a "can I do this" exercise.

The rest of the world was years ahead, but I was taking CS classes that had us using coding sheets and punch cards (and assembly/machine code vs high level languages).

 

[Zorba]

I wrote a "space invaders" clone on a ZX-81 when in high school. It was ugly, and I had to type in the machine code by hand every time because the cassette tape wasn't reliable, but it was functional. I'd leave that sucker powered on for weeks!

More of a "can I do this" exercise.

The rest of the world was years ahead, but I was taking CS classes that had us using coding sheets and punch cards (and assembly/machine code vs high level languages).

Good on you - you actually took CS classes, and learned how to code by hand which teaches you a LOT.

Most of these code monkeys these days obviously didn't pass CS-101 - I don't think very many of them have even *taken* CS-101. Buggy code and latency, latency, latency everywhere. I would have been fired for cause if I'd written code like some of the crap I see.

Your ZX-81 is capable of out-performing the garbage code produced now.

 

[Roger T]

When we moved the parents out .They still had a DOS only setup,with a 15k modem.

 

[Signmaster]

You guys think old does not work anymore.

I used to run a print shop that cut vinyl. The vinyl cutting is the only thing I still do. But the old cutter has a computer I bought in 1997 still running it. Think it is still running Windows 3.1.

The computer and cutter still work good, not so much me.

Chuck40219

I think I still have the DOS software that came with my first vinyl plotter. It was much quicker than any of the new Windows based stuff, just a bit more primitive in the views and screen display.

Back when we had switches on modems and such, sometimes setting up all the gear was actually much easier before it was "plug and play". I ran scanners, a fax, modems, plotters, and printers all off a 486SX/25 with Windows 3.1 and all of 4 megabytes of RAM.

All my friends said I was nuts when I got the 4 Meg of RAM, and the 80 Meg hard drive. Those same friends said the same when I bumped it to 8 Megs of RAM and a 425 Meg hard drive.

I think it was one of only a couple Intel based systems I ever had. I jumped to Cyrix systems and then AMD later in life.