So you thought your systems were old

[TechMonkey]

US nuclear force 'still uses floppy disks'

[sted]

perhaps thats a good thing as i imagine hacking a slower machine would take longer and security through obscurity. Diddnt they have the launch code set to 0000 and lose the keys to the presidents briefcase for years as well

[Oaktech]

Now THATS Long term servicing branch!

[bald_pig]

Aren't they showing the wrong disk in the photo? looks like a 5 1/2" to me?

[Fazza]

I think I'd rather have a 1970's simple system that have a handful of bugs (if any) that they know about and have a fix/workaround for than a modern CPU with Windows 10 OS controlling a nucleus missile!!!

[Lonix]

I'm sure I can save them money on their:

"The report said taxpayers spent $61bn (£41bn) a year on maintaining ageing technologies"

 

Once I saw this post I really thought it would be a School or UK based - certainly not American.

[TechMonkey]

I'm sure I can save them money on their:

"The report said taxpayers spent $61bn (£41bn) a year on maintaining ageing technologies"

 

Once I saw this post I really thought it would be a School or UK based - certainly not American.

 

The US is an odd mix of bleeding edge and not broken so don't touch it. I'll try and dig it up but there was a great article about the Whitehouse IT and Presidential communications systems. They were terrible!

 

Here it is: 13,000 pounds of abandoned cable removed from the Whitehouse.

Edited May 26, 2016 by TechMonkey

[6Foot2]

Link: The long legacy of the floppy disk - BBC News

[mikeprice]

Those 8 inch floppies (stop sniggering out there) were out of use when I started working on computers - in 1981

 

I did know of a machine in the Honeywell support group down the road from us that still used them - it was kept in case of problems with the few customer machines that still needed them

[kearton]

When I was at Uni my flatmates bought the Vax mainframe that the Uni was decommissioning. It took up most of our double car garage...

[mikeprice]

When I was at Uni my flatmates bought the Vax mainframe that the Uni was decommissioning. It took up most of our double car garage...

 

wooooo

 

I worked on those for years - AWESOME operating system - we could do anything with those system

 

How about this for geek furniture

My other VAX is a VAXbar

[Zer0]

I think I'd rather have a 1970's simple system that have a handful of bugs (if any) that they know about and have a fix/workaround for than a modern CPU with Windows 10 OS controlling a nucleus missile!!!

 

"Cortana, Direction to McDonalds"

 

"Launching missile on McDonalds"

[Fazza]

"Cortana, Direction to McDonalds"

 

"Launching missile on McDonalds"

 

That's exactly what wold happen - LOL!

[jinnantonnixx]

"Cortana, Direction to McDonalds"

 

"Launching missile on McDonalds"

 

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[Zer0]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

Their coffees and milkshakes are alright, but nothing.......................................to die for.

 

 

 

 

I'll get my coat

[6Foot2]

Their coffees and milkshakes are alright, but nothing.......................................to die for...

 

I don't joke about that: I used to make that stuff. Not a good job.

 

[Dos_Box]

Wasn't the Space Shuttle (before decommissioning) running off old 486's?

IIRC, NASA has a department who's job it is to source old IT/electronic equipment for spares and use Ebay heavily as much in-use equipment, such as the Hubble were built on 90's tech!

[googlemad]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

[mikeprice]

From what I recall - one of the problems that made them use old 486's was heat - fans don't have much effect in a vacuum and the end of range 486's generated a lot less heat than the original Pentiums

 

Oh - and of course the original Pentiums couldn't multiply

[jinnantonnixx]

From what I recall - one of the problems that made them use old 486's was heat - fans don't have much effect in a vacuum and the end of range 486's generated a lot less heat than the original Pentiums

 

Oh - and of course the original Pentiums couldn't multiply

 

[pedant]

Divide. They baked in some wrong division tables into the chip. Most of the time it would sort itself out, but in certain circumstances it would give the wrong result.

[/pedant]

 

Old tech is often chosen, not because it's bug-free, but because the bugs are well known and can be accommodated.

Edited May 27, 2016 by jinnantonnixx

[6Foot2]

Link: Software legal battle could put SA patients' safety at risk, Government outlines in court documents - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

The South Australian Government has warned that patient safety will be at risk if it is forced to stop using a crucial software system in country hospitals.

 

The ABC obtained court documents which reveal the extent of a bitter legal stoush between the Government and the maker of the patient records system.

 

The system called, CHIRON, is used at 64 country health sites in South Australia, including at the Mount Barker Hospital.

 

In technology terms, the program is ancient and based on the MS-DOS platform. It was installed in SA hospitals in the early 90s...

[elsiegee40]

That is terrifying. Probably virus proof, but terrifying!

@ZeroHour there might be some demand for an MS-DOS forum for the southern hemisphere:D

Edited June 19, 2016 by elsiegee40

[DJ-1701]

That is terrifying. Probably virus proof, but terrifying!

@ZeroHour there might be some demand for an MS-DOS forum for the southern hemisphere:D

 

Forum? It might be quicker for them to post messages in a weekly magazine.

[mikeprice]

Maybe they should use this method to post messages

https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1149.txt

[6Foot2]

Link: This Ancient Laptop Is The Only Key To The Most Valuable Supercars On The Planet

 

This is a Compaq LTE 5280 laptop from the early 1990s, running a bespoke CA card. In 2016, McLaren Automotive—one of the most high-tech car and technology companies on the planet—still uses it and its DOS-based software to service the remaining hundred McLaren F1s out there, each valued at $10 million or more.

 

The laptop: