We're not the only ones after old computer hardware

I am not familiar with Laplink cables. So does it offer the possibility to connect two laptops ?

 

Yes, that have either 9pin or 25pin serial port or through parallel ports. Connects them in order to transfer files. Was an easy way of copying DOS/WIN3 hard drives from old to new PC.

 

Just need a 9 pins plug on one of my laptops haha. But good to know that it is possible ! Thanks !

 

I remember using Norton Commander almost every day for things like this - laptop, no CD-ROM, no PCMCIA so parallel port link was the fastest option to transfer 100-300Mb there.

Aircraft maintenance.
That laptop receives and prints the data from two automatic weather stations, which also work 24/7 since then.

 

Pertinent literature:
https://news.vice.com/article/windows-31-is-still-alive-and-it-just-killed-a-french-airport

Also, IIRC, some big company was recently looking for programmers specialized in 80s era assembler and systems, for maintenance and bug solving on old, hard to modify, programs.

 

lol that link was amazing

 

Us French people still want to use old computer architecture because "why changing something that is working ?". The problem here in France is that new computer engineers don't even know what is a parallel port, so it is hard to find the correct people to maintain these installation....

 

Those are office admins because parallel port/RS-232/ISA etc. will be used in industrial computers for many years. Sometimes you don't need extremely fast ports that pump gigabytes per second, you need a port that can be accessed directly without any complex software. Parallel port is obsolete when it comes to printers and data transfer between two computers but it's not when you need to control some electrical equipment - all you need is a few transistors and relays, that's all.

 

Most likely NASA (as mentioned in your article):

http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a17991/voyager-1-voyager-2-retiring-engineer/

Bit more on the Voyager equipment here:

http://www.wired.com/2013/09/vintage-voyager-probes/

 

I don't think NASA is what I had in mind, because it is one of the few organisation that obviously uses 80s tech for reliability and "proven design" reasons. I remember I was surprised by which company was looking for an old school programmer.

 

Why companies do keep extremely old programs running? Laziness to update it?

 

Hardware issues (need isa cards/what ever).

Source code missing.

Programmer who wrote it no longer with company and its difficult to figure out.

Costs money, when running old version still works fine.

To name a few

 

Also, for NASA & cie, a proven stable bugless code/hardware is always preferred to shiny new but untested and possibly buggy. If the program/device fits the need, no reason to change it.

 

Time to developp new one is money.
And if you start modifying an old programming architecture, you have to modify everything at the same time, as you will have compatbility issues between old/new hardware/software. So your all activity will be impacted. Waiting for a system failure is sometimes better than a preventive update.

 

A lot of ATMs still run OS/2 and NT.

 

Incredible!

I have a a Celeron-based 2001 Dell Inspiron. After having it unplugged for 6-8 months, it still held a 65%+ charge. That's better than any modern piece of equipment I own by a long shot!

 

Lithium batteries hold charge for years. That's completely normal.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-discharge

 

McLaren will just whip out their big money sausage and just have some company develop an interface ect to communicate to those cars..

Why they haven't yet I don't know....

Even ones with active circuitry? I guess it depends on the size of the battery, most phone batteries will go flat in storage after about 8 months..

 

To save money?

 

If something is draining it, its not self discharge of the battery. But then that's entirely down to the design of the device, nothing to do with its age.

Generally, when a laptop is off its off. I've had a lithium drill still have like 80% after not being used for 2 years. If it's just in standby then that's different.

I turned on a phone I found in a box recently that's probably been there 8 years and that still had like 50%