[X4U] "Backwards Compatibility"

[zapcat]

On Jun 19, 2008, at 3:20 AM, Eugene wrote:

> Your older software/hardware combination eventually dies.
> Old hardware will eventually die, and new replacement hardware
> may not be compatible with old software.  Old software may die
> of incompatabilities with newer software (e.g. new OS) or newer
> hardware (see above).  Old lifeforms die and give rise to newer
> lifeforms as the ecosystem evolves and changes.  ADB, parallel,
> and serial ports died and gave way to USB.  SCSI (mostly) and
> Parallel ATA died and gave way to Firewire and Serial ATA.  And
> Mac OS 9 died and gave way to Mac OS X.
>
> Don't outlive the next generation.  Bad karma.

OK. let's get a grip here. this is software and hardware we're 
discussing, not Mankind's galactic destiny.

those in this discussion who are fans of the ever-new (and more power 
to ya) are acting as though it's absolute law, that newer is better and 
that those of us wise enough not to upgrade when we don't have to are 
somehow choking your lives. that's beyond silly.

those here who've pointed out that they/we are essentially buying the 
same technology over and over with a different shiny interface bolted 
on are spot-on. I was using Adobe Illustrator when the whole program 
came on 1 3" floppy. Nearly 20 years later and it is worlds larger, has 
a bunch of new toys, but, save for advances made by about version 7, 
it's not objectively better.

And if it's bad karma which is at the center of the concern, I'd 
suggest devoting some attention to the oceans of toxic detritus the 
"always new, always more" model is producing.

zc