Quite so! I particularly agree that all the computers of 20 years ago still
do, and just as well, everything that they did 20 years ago, and that, in
many cases, hasn't been improved much over the ensuing 20 years. Payroll
and accounting packages still crank out the weekly checks, track the
payables and receivables, and really can't improve things much by running
faster.
In fact, most of the processing bandwith improvements that have occurred in
the last 20 years have gone for things we really didn't think we needed back
then, and, quite frankly, still don't really need today. The GUI is where
most of the bandwidth has gone, and to the "action-games" with their inane
flash and silly sounds. Sadly, when you run the 20-year old software on the
current generation of machines, it shows you how little improvement there's
really been. All those gigabytes of hard disk space and hundreds of
megabytes of RAM don't buy you a thing when you're running code designed for
a 64K memory space.
<sigh>
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2000 6:14 PM
Subject: Re: Software rental, "trusted computing", etc. (was Re: Is this for
real -- a new C64/128)
> >
> > "Richard Erlacher" <richard_at_idcomm.com> wrote:
> > > Since there's a strong push in the direction of a hermetically-sealed
> > > internet-PC, with no options, it makes me shudder to think there may
be a
> > > time, soon, when we have to buy software by the drink, downloading it
each
> > > time from the net and for a fee, as the Oracle folks would like us to
do. I
> > > see no effort from anyone else to dispell the notion that that's a
good
> > > thing.
> >
> > A lot of people don't seem to recognize this threat, and some people
> > refuse to believe it even when it's pointed out.
>
> Alas I _do_ recognise it, and it worries me...
>
> People have laughed at me (and even flamed me) for wanting/expecting
> complete documentation on everything that I own, but quite honestly,
> completely documented stuff is stuff that you can do what the heck you
> like with.
>
> There can be no 'hidden' system calls in linux. Anyone can read the
> kernel sources and find them. Unlike Windows, for example.
>
> There can be no hidden hardware features of the PDP11/45. Anyone can read
> the printset and microcode flows and figure out just what it will do with
> every possible combination of Unibus signals. Unlike certain
> microprocessors I could mention.
>
> One thing that will happen if we get to 'closed' machines that can only
> run rented software is that I suspect in certain circles (this list being
> one of them, obviously), classic computers will suddenly become very
> popular for real work. Machines where you can run your own software and
> add your own hardware.
>
> I am sometimes asked 'what can that 20-year-old machine do'. One correct
> answer is 'Everything it did 20 years ago' (I was having this discussion
> with Philip Belben the other day, so some ideas here may have come from
> that). In other words, that 20-year-old CP/M box with Wordstar was doing
> word processing back then. It can still do word processing. Maybe not
> with all the fancy fonts and formatting tricks of a more modern machine.
> But it can still print letters, books, etc. And quite honestly, that's
> all I need (and if people can't accept a plain ascii file from me, I have
> no intention of dealing with them!).
>
> It never fails to amaze me that computers are wonderful machines
> _because_ they can be programmed to do just about anything. And then
> modern OSes/applications (and things like the TCPA) seem to be preventing
> you from programmming them. Go figure.
>
> > There's now a think called the "Trusted Computing Platform Alliance.":
> > http://www.trustedpc.org/
> > Such a pleasant-sounding, reassuring name. Until you think about one
> > little detail. Trusted by *whom*?
>
> Well, not by me, that's for sure...
>
> -tony
>
Received on Tue May 16 2000 - 20:35:34 BST