[X4U] "Backwards Compatibility"

[John Kiss]

On Jun 19, 2008, at 12:04 PM, Zane H. Healy wrote:

> Tell me, which part of the hardware/software industry gives you your  
> pay check.  You're one of two people here really trying to convince  
> people they need to go out and waste their money.
No, not "one of two people". There are others here who just didn't  
chime in.

> There are ways that Apple could insure those of us with older  
> software can still run it, they've just chosen to ignore them.
Sure they could but then what would be the price of software? Do you  
think that it costs nothing?


> Why is it I can run software written for a PDP-11 or VAX in the 70's  
> in a legal and supported fashion on an Intel Mac,
Really, what are the programs?


> yet I can't run ClarisDraw which was written in the mid-90's in a  
> supported fashion?
Because ClarisDraw was written for an older operating system on  
another microprocessor. If you really need ClarisDraw so much then run  
it on an old dedicated machine.


> The PDP-11 and VAX are minicomputers produced by DEC (i.e. something  
> varying in size between a very large tower to something that fills a  
> room), yet ClarisDraw is owned by Apple.
And? Do you not understand that PDP-11 and VAX are not consumer  
oriented devices? An Apple Mac is. The Mac costs far, far less. What  
about the yearly maintenance fees/service contracts that PDP-11 and  
VAX users pay? If you want longevity then there's a price to pay. I  
surely don't want to pay that kind of money for Mac OS upgrades so  
that you old codgers can run your beloved old software that "simply  
can't be replaced" by anything. If you don't want to move on, stay  
with the old equipment and don't complain about changes.


> As for your BS about hardware, I'm typing this on an Apple ADB  
> Extended II Keyboard hooked up to my G5 2x2,
Only because someone made an adapter. What are you going to do when  
the adapter dies?


> and as far as I know I'll still be able to use this keyboard on an  
> Intel Mac when I finally get one.  My printer is an HP 5MP which is  
> even older.
> On my WinXP box, I use a keyboard that came with my 486/33 in '91.   
> These are examples that show why everything now has built in  
> obsolescence.
>
> While my G5 is my primary system, my secondary system is an Alpha  
> running OpenVMS, the hardware on it mostly dates back to the 90's,  
> and some of the software is far older than than any of my Mac  
> software, yet I'm running the current version of OpenVMS. Some  
> companies really do understand that backwards compatibility is  
> important.
If your Alpha system is so good then you should be running it as your  
primary system and not need a Mac.


> Your comments show what is wrong with society today.
Nothing is wrong with society today. All you guys want to do is  
complain.