Members nat whilk II Posted August 3, 2011 Members Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm imagining a PC box that, as part of the boot process, offers you the choice to boot up a list of Windows versions that run from Win 3.1 through XP. Would people pay for this? If so, would they pay much? Would M$FT try to shut a company down who sold a serious number of such machines? Personally, I'd pay $1,000 for a machine like that. First thing I'd do would be to resurrect my Opcode 64X midi patchbay, and my Korg Oasys PCI card....oh, yeah, and the 10 zillion great samples I've got stashed on a box full of Zip Disks that take a SCSI interface...not to speak of how many DOS programs that operate on this long, lost concept of elegance.... nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted August 3, 2011 CMS Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm not a Windows user at home, but.........$107 for a 10-year old OS? Do people actually pay that? Yeah, I was going to say something about that, but it's a no-brainer to link to the first place your search engine turns up. I can go to Micro Center (and there are probably cheaper on-line sources) and buy a new OEM copy of Windows 7 Professional Somethingorother for a little over $100 if I also buy a $7 USB PCI expansion card, which qualifies me as a computer builder. There are lots of copies of "restoration" disks available for cheap that came along with long-abandoned department store PCs, but I don't know for sure what you can do with those if you don't have the original PC for which that copy or version is licensed. Windows 2000 was the last Windows, other than site license copies, that didn't have to phone home in order to keep working. I've never tried it, but I figure that if I take one of my legitimate Dell restoration disks and install it in a new home built computer, it'll say "Go to hell, this ain't a Dell" or something to that effect. Does anyone do this successfully? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted August 3, 2011 CMS Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 You don't like it when people upgrade their computers, because you say it makes it harder to find replacement parts for your old one. When we point out that it actually isn't hard to find old stuff, you don't trust the seller. Is there some scenario that would make you happy? Sure. That the people who make parts continue to make the same parts for a very long time. But since this isn't profitable, they stop making the old parts because then they can sell people new parts. You can still buy newly manufactured parts for a Model A Ford or a 1950s Fender amplifier because they're made from discrete components that are still manufactured. But you can't buy a 10 year old graphics or MIDI card because the parts that go on the circuit board are no longer manufactured. I guess I'll just have to keep what I have going for as long as I can stand it, then start over again with something new. That's what I've done several times over the past 30 years, but I'm getting too old for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted August 3, 2011 CMS Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm imagining a PC box that, as part of the boot process, offers you the choice to boot up a list of Windows versions that run from Win 3.1 through XP.Would people pay for this? If so, would they pay much? Would M$FT try to shut a company down who sold a serious number of such machines? Microsoft would probably only care about where you got the versions of Windows that run on the machine. They'd want their license fees for all of that software. It would be pretty tricky, and would certainly involve a custom BIOS, probably a custom motherboard as well. I think that the market would be small enough so that you couldn't produce it for $1,000 retail, maybe $10,000. And while it might come packaged with a range of versions of Windows, it would be up to the user to find all the old applications and drivers. Still got your Opcode disks? Do they still play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted August 3, 2011 Members Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm imagining a PC box that, as part of the boot process, offers you the choice to boot up a list of Windows versions that run from Win 3.1 through XP. Would people pay for this? If so, would they pay much? Would M$FT try to shut a company down who sold a serious number of such machines? Personally, I'd pay $1,000 for a machine like that. First thing I'd do would be to resurrect my Opcode 64X midi patchbay, and my Korg Oasys PCI card....oh, yeah, and the 10 zillion great samples I've got stashed on a box full of Zip Disks that take a SCSI interface...not to speak of how many DOS programs that operate on this long, lost concept of elegance.... Microsoft has a "virtual PC" product that will do this, and there's also VMWare, which will likewise allow you to set up a computer that will run multiple operating systems in different windows without rebooting. It's used extensively by programmers who need to test their software on different OS's, versions, etc. The basic version of VMWare Player is free, but you would have to buy all of the OS's that you wanted to run (although you can also run Linux under VMWare, which you don't have to pay for ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted August 3, 2011 Members Share Posted August 3, 2011 Sure. That the people who make parts continue to make the same parts for a very long time. But since this isn't profitable, they stop making the old parts because then they can sell people new parts. I haven't had a problem locating parts for old computers, whether new, or used ones on eBay or craigslist (lots of people now recycle old computers, and the recycling companies list stuff on eBay before they scrap it). As you mentioned, computer parts do seem to be pretty robust and used ones seem to work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted August 3, 2011 Members Share Posted August 3, 2011 Microsoft has a "virtual PC" product that will do this, and there's also VMWare, which will likewise allow you to set up a computer that will run multiple operating systems in different windows without rebooting. It's used extensively by programmers who need to test their software on different OS's, versions, etc. The basic version of VMWare Player is free, but you would have to buy all of the OS's that you wanted to run (although you can also run Linux under VMWare, which you don't have to pay for ). I've got all the old OS's on discs of one format or another. I'll check out that VMWare - thanks for the info.. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted August 3, 2011 Members Share Posted August 3, 2011 VMWare Player is the product you want - it's free for personal use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted August 3, 2011 Members Share Posted August 3, 2011 When I decided I wanted another Mac it was a tough call for me. I really thought it would be cool to have a tower for my basement studio but then I'd still be stuck with my 2008 model 15" MBP for my everyday/lounging/traveling computer. The other side of the coin was to take the 2008 MBP downstairs for my studio and buy a new 17" MBP. The cost would have been about the same either way. I decided that the older MBP could easily handle what little recording I seem to do anymore (while adding a 24" monitor and with the 'ole PC tower in a support role) and the 17" MBP would be a lot more fun and useful for my everyday use (which also includes music programs). With the little time I seem to have for my studio anymore it seems like it's been the right decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lucky #9 Posted August 5, 2011 Members Share Posted August 5, 2011 Cloud computing brings out Big Brother paranoia in me. Why do I want or need to put my files anywhere except right here and backed up right here or in my friend's fireproof safe. I agree. I wouldn't want to back-up anything of mine on a web site that is under the control of someone else. Big Brother is everywhere, whether you think so or not. Your digital trail is everywhere. Why make your information, particularly records of personal importance and privacy, available to anyone else? Code is cracked every day. Hackers invade everything. Governments invade everything. Don't kid yourself. Someone wants your information --- someone gets your information, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Olhsson Posted August 5, 2011 Members Share Posted August 5, 2011 I agree with Craig that the tower, or at least the reasonably priced tower, is probably going away soon. The game changer is solid state storage. It has the potential to not only replace mechanical disks but also RAM. It's undoubtedly what the rush to 64 bit computing is really about. This could be the same magnitude of change as the microprocessor was. It could even mean the end of general purpose computers with most applications moving to the cloud and those requiring ultra-high performance moving to dedicated hardware. Economics will dictate all of this because of the requirement for mass production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted August 6, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 6, 2011 Hey Bob - thanks for stopping by! Your opinions are always welcome (and not just because you agreed with me this time around ). Solid state storage is a thing of beauty, if for no other reason than the lack of noise. And yes, one of the reasons I went to 64-bit computing was because I kept bumping into RAM limits. Granted most office installations wouldn't have that issue, but audio and video...well, you of all people know what the story is with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Goobers Posted August 6, 2011 Members Share Posted August 6, 2011 I haven't had a problem locating parts for old computers, whether new, or used ones on eBay or craigslist (lots of people now recycle old computers, and the recycling companies list stuff on eBay before they scrap it). As you mentioned, computer parts do seem to be pretty robust and used ones seem to work fine. Admittedly, I've only read this final page of the thread. But if there's any part of it where you're describing how you put on your combat fatigues, pack a picnic lunch, and spend the day combing through a landfill for vintage circuit boards and SCSI cables, I have a link for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.