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Date: Sun, 06 May 2012 16:41:16 +0100
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Subject: Re: Why stay with DOS? (was Re: LF: Open Sauce)
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Yes John
Mankind has halted Video Recorder systems, TV systems, Audio Discs and 
other things and replaced them, why not Computers, well we all know why 
and it wont happen, yet. But one day it will have to and I can dream.

73 Eddie

On 06/05/2012 09:47, John Rabson wrote:
> Eddie,
>
>> Why in the 21stC are we using an O/S based on DOS.
> In the commercial environment, for backward compatibility with a vast installed user base.  On the software side, I have met this sort of thing with commercial COBOL and FORTRAN-based products. It often cheaper overall (at the time) to continue maintaining such software rather than change to something radically different.
>
> If one wishes to replace (or re-implement) the underlying OS it may be necessary to throw away an awful lot of application code that perhaps is tied more intimately than one would wish into the underlying system.  The cost of such a re-implementation, although it might be worth it in the long run, does not go down well with the accountants, amongst other people.
>
> The same applies with user interfaces. I have just installed a Windows 7 system for a client whose XP system hard disk had gone seriously belly-up. Yes, we did have a full backup but some of the products she was used to (Outlook Express and Cardfile for example) are no longer supplied and will not necessarily run correctly, if at all, on the new system. I enquired about getting a second hand XP box but it emerged that this would cost perhaps twice as much as the new system. It was therefore necessary to bite the bullet and do some client re-training. This is not always easy.
>
> Needless to say, the client did not have an XP distribution disc set.
>
> John F5VLF
> PS Regarding on-off switches, I have encountered system boxes whose on-off switch is a software one. To perform a proper power off it is necessary to unplug the box from the mains supply.
>