Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question?

From	"Ryan P." <rdeleteyannewguy@gremovemail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.sys.laptops
Subject	Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question?
Date	2011-07-11 12:45 -0500
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<ivfcs2$omd$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<X5idnekgKtTxZYXTnZ2dnUVZ5rGdnZ2d@giganews.com> <ivbk1t$9j$1@dont-email.me> <ivd9mj$ogf$1@dont-email.me> <ive4g8$1fc$1@dont-email.me>

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On 7/11/2011 1:15 AM, mike wrote:
> Ryan P. wrote:

> Update the hardware is not a realistic expectation.
> I've got hardware that predates windows 95. The functionality
> no longer exists at a rational price. The drivers know how to work
> the hardware...it's windows that can't talk to the drivers.
> There's a HAL, why the heck can't the HAL make the legacy hardware
> work seamlessly?
>
> I'm sure somebody had very good reasons for making it incompatible.
> But that's no consolation when my PAL programmer don't work. I've got
> GPIB interface cards that require ISA slots. Nothing that can't be fixed
> with (lots of) money. It's cheaper to keep another machine around
> with ISA slots and running an older OS.

  Sounds like you have some pretty specific requirements.  I completely 
understand why you'd rather keep the older hardware running as long as 
possible.

  I am familiar with the legacy hardware conundrum...  I recall spending 
a long time figuring out how to get an old plotter to work for a small 
construction company...  Short answer is, it wouldn't work with their 
brand-spanking-new Windows 8 server.  I had to install it on an old XP 
machine, and then make it a shared printer that everyone else could 
access through their terminals.

  The hours I spent working on it were a LOT less expensive than paying 
$5,000 for a new plotter.

> My test system has plugin drives and runs multiple operating systems.
> It's getting to the point that I can't have a single set of hardware
> that's fully compatible with different OS's.

  I'm insanely curious... What types of environments are you using all 
the legacy hardware in?  I'm picturing driver computers for industrial 
machinery and similar applications?

  I worked on a Xerox printer (4096) that was being driven by a computer 
running Windows 3.1 with a custom shell overlay about a year ago...  The 
hardware dongles were all ISA, come to think about it.  The company had 
at least been prudent enough to have lots of spare parts to keep that 
computer running.  Xerox would happily come in and provide new dongles 
and controllers...to the tune of LOTS of money, of course.

Thread

Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? "ghelf" <ghelf@sbcglobalDeathToSpam.net> - 2011-07-09 17:55 -0700
  Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? Pen <nospam@spam.none> - 2011-07-09 22:28 -0400
    Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? Bob Villa <pheeh.zero@gmail.com> - 2011-07-09 21:27 -0700
    Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? BillW50 <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-07-10 12:14 -0500
  Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? lmarco@panix.com (Lou Marco) - 2011-07-10 04:44 +0000
    Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? lmarco@panix.com (Lou Marco) - 2011-07-10 04:46 +0000
  Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? "Ryan P." <rdeletepaque@wi.rr.comm> - 2011-07-10 00:43 -0500
  Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? mike <spamme9@gmail.com> - 2011-07-10 00:22 -0700
    Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? Bob Villa <pheeh.zero@gmail.com> - 2011-07-10 05:09 -0700
    Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? "Ryan P." <rdeletepaque@wi.rr.comm> - 2011-07-10 17:39 -0500
      Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? mike <spamme9@gmail.com> - 2011-07-10 23:15 -0700
        Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? "Ryan P." <rdeleteyannewguy@gremovemail.com> - 2011-07-11 12:45 -0500
          Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? mike <spamme9@gmail.com> - 2011-07-11 21:01 -0700
  Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? Tazz <dmswaine@gmail.com> - 2011-07-10 23:57 -0300
  Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? "ghelf" <ghelf@sbcglobalDeathToSpam.net> - 2011-07-10 22:18 -0700
    Re: Installing Window 7 on a 4 year old laptop question? mike <spamme9@gmail.com> - 2011-07-10 23:49 -0700

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