Legacy apps in Windows/OS X was Re: Old MS-DOS & Win Software

[Scott Stevens]

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 00:27:31 +0000
Adrian Graham <witchy at binarydinosaurs.co.uk> wrote:

> On 7/12/05 23:53, "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote:
> 
> > Worst case, I setup something like my 8500/180 running an old
> > enough version of the OS so that I can also run "Warlords 2". 
> > BTW, I do own PC versions of both games, from before I got a
> > Mac, however, they're limited to 640x480, while the Mac
> > versions go up to something like 1152x870.  Both games are
> > also well on topic, but still two of my favorite games of all
> > time.
> 
> My only take on this that springs to mind is why should you
> expect a computer company to continue supporting older hardware
> and software beyond a certain timeframe unless they explicitly
> say their current product is 100% compatible with their 10/15/20
> year old product? It's almost like expecting a car manufacturer
> to still support manual wind-down windows and non-central
> locking because you happen to like manual windows and door locks
> you can activate individually.
> 

It's not a matter of 'meeting the requirement' or else for the
manufacturer.  It's a matter of satisfying a customer and holding
onto market share.  I happen to prefer manual windows and
non-central locking, and won't buy a car with electronic locks. 
That is my choice and car makers who want to sell a car to me will
offer it.  

Much the same is true with Microsoft.  They want to hold onto
their legacy customers, in fact leveraging that legacy is a big
part of how they've held onto and controlled the market.  There
come points at which it's probably to Microsoft's advantage to
abandon legacy features, and that's when they do it.  But they and
a lot of the rest of us know that's really one of the only things
they have going for themselves.


> Surely everything forces you to move on at a certain point in
> time, the only reason it should be an issue is if the company
> concerned decides to charge an arm and a leg to migrate to newer
> product or uses unreasonable tactics. No names mentioned there.
> 
> Hang on, one of my Edison bulbs has burnt out, I'll be back in
> an hour when I've changed it :) Also, VW will be out next week
> to fit solid tyres to my 3 year old car because I prefer solid
> tyres. I've always felt they ran better than these new-fangled
> pneumatic ones.
> 
> In the meanwhile, if you NEED to run old apps why not use old
> kit to do it?
> 
> /ducks and runs away very fast!
> 
> Oh, did I mention this? -> :o)
>  
> -- 
> Adrian/Witchy
> Binary Dinosaurs creator/curator
> Www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the UK's biggest private home
> computer collection?
> 
>