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Dan's 20th Century Abandonware has been visited from 192 countries!
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D2CA News
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New "tags" for D2CA pics
After moving Dan's 20th Century Abandonware to this domain from dans20thcenturyabandonware.com in May 2008 there are still dozens of images bearing the old domain name. I am in the process of "re-tagging" all of these images but it will take time and result in making new photos of many items. For a while you will see some images with Dans20thCenturyAbandonware.com and more and more images with D2CA.ORG. |
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Dan Buys New PC For Home & D2CA
November 8, 2008 I usually wait between PC purchases to find both the best price and a substantial hardware performance increase before purchasing a new computer system. I found both and purchased a new zt computer. This system has the following performance features: - AMD Quad core Q9650 2.3GHz (compared to my current Intel Pentium D 3GHz dual-core CPU) - 1800MHz FSB (compared to my current 800MHz FSB) - 4GB DDR2 667MHz memory (compared to my system's original 1GB 400MHz DDR2 memory) - Microsoft Windows XP Professional (NO VISTA FOR THIS MISTA!!! No Windows Media Center either!) - No extra "filler" software -- just the os (compared to the extra junk my current system was preloaded with) - No monitor -- I already have adequate monitors (compared to the 21" I was forced to buy with my system) - 5-year warranty (compared to my current system's long ago lapsed 1-year warranty) And I will be able to use many existing hardware components with this new system: - My current 24" widescreen and 21" flat panel monitors, Altec Lansing speakers, and printer - My current GeForce 9600GT 512MB PCIe video card - My 250GB and 1TB Seagate Enterprise Storage SATA II hard drives - My Sony DVD/DVD-RAM and DVD-ROM drives - My HP Personal Media Drive 400GB & 750GB external USB hard drives This zt system's price was US$599.99 plus sales tax with free shipping. I couldn't pass up that price. This system is due to arrive around Novmber 20th. After the hardware exchange and a shakedown, I will feature my experiences with this new system in detail on my personal computer history page. |
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Helping Dan's 20th Century Abandonware Grow
November 5, 2008 Mike from CA USA donated 22 legacy software titles to Dan's 20th Century Abandonware. The software titles include AOL, PC-File 6.5 (full version), PC-Calc+ V2 (shareware), MS-DOS 5, MS-DOS 6, MS-DOS 6.2, Sideways 3.21, Modem Doctor 1.5 for Win95/98 (shareware), XTree 2.00, XTreeGold 2.01, ADVENTURE (PC version), GALAXY TREK 2.1, Enchanted Castle (shareware), Jetset (BASIC), Roboto, Hero, BOLO Adventure III (shareware), SIMPLY LABELS 2.01 (shareware), Formgen 2.62 (shareware), Multimate Advantage Professional Word Processor 3.60, C-Terminal 2.2, and PC Clones Magazine Best Bits & Bytes (BBB) Disk #303: Utilities. Mike also donated the 5¼" floppy disk container shown in the photo. Thank you, Mike! |
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Helping Dan's 20th Century Abandonware Grow
October 14, 2008 Stephen H. from VA USA donated 20 legacy software titles and 2 Apple hardware items to Dan's 20th Century Abandonware. The software titles include: - Borland C++ 2.0 for OS/2 - Borland JBuilder 4 for Linux/Solaris/Windows - Borland Turbo C++ 3.0 for DOS - CFS Payroll System 8.03 for DOS/Windows - Enhanced CU-SeeMe 2.0.1 for Windows 3.1x/95 - GammaTech 3.0 for OS/2 - Key map for DOS - Lotus Ami Pro 3.0b for OS/2 - Macromedia Director 6 Multimedia Studio for Windows 95/NT - MyBackUp 1.0.0 for DOS - PartitionMagic 3.0 for Windows 3.1x/NT/95 and OS/2 - Peachtree Double Bonus Bundle 5.00 for DOS - Records Database Deluxe for Windows 3.1x/95 - SpellTools 1.3.2 for Macintosh - The Norton Desktop 1.0 for DOS - The Print Shop for DOS - Virtual PC v5.0.4 for Macintosh - VisualAge C++ 3.0 for OS/2 in original shrinkwrap - VisualAge for Java Professional Edition 2.0 for OS/2 and Windows - VisualAge for Smalltalk 3.0 for Windows The hardware items include: - Maxpowr G3 PowerPC 750 processor upgrade (Apple) - VLSI 9418AS video capture card (Apple) Stephen has been donating very rare OS/2, Macintosh, DOS, and Windows legacy software titles to Dan's 20th Century Abandonware for over five years! Stephen has also donated some rare Apple, Commodore, and PC legacy hardware to D2CA. Thank you, Stephen! |
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Dan Recovers Antique Binder From Workplace
August 16, 2008 Before I began my career at my workplace as the site's first mainframe Computer Operator, then later the site's first official Computer Technician, the first computer systems used at that site were a network of daisy-chained Burroughs B-20 systems under a maintenance contract by Burroughs Corporation. This network was created in 1985 and ran until 1993. A Burroughs System Log 3-ring binder contained records of the maintenance performed by Burroughs, and later Unisys, Field Engineers. They used this same binder to record maintenance on the Unisys mainframes used at this site from 1988 to 2003. The last recorded service was in 2001. Sitting dormant on a bookshelf for nearly 7 years, in August 2008 I asked the management if I could have this binder. They allowed me to take it and it is now another "computer artifact" in the D2CA legacy computer collection. This Burroughs Corporation Field Engineering System Log binder bears the Burroughs Corporation logo and predates the 1986 Unisys Corporation merger of Burroughs Corporation and Sperry Corporation. It is over 20 years old, making it an antique, and is featured on the computer artifacts publications page. |
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Helping Dan's 20th Century Abandonware Grow
August 12, 2008 Robert C. from OH USA donated a complete box set of Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.01 to Dan's 20th Century Abandonware. The software manual is a 3-ring binder and the software title resides on 5¼" 360K floppy disks. This software package is in good condition for being 22 years old. It qualifies as being an antique. Thank you, Robert! |
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D2CA receives donated 1999 Toshiba notebook computer
In August 2008, Dan's 20th Century Abandonware became the recipient of a donated Toshiba Satellite 2800-S201 notebook computer. The original owner upgraded this system from its original 64MB RAM to its maximum 320MB and from a 6GB hard drive to a 60GB hard drive. This system becomes the closest I have to reaching the 20th Century limit I impose upon myself collecting legacy computer software and hardware. I repartitioned and formatted the HD and installed a clean setup of Windows 2000 Professional. I was able to download and install all the necessary drivers for this system. It features both internal DVD-ROM/CD-ROM and 1.44MB floppy drives. This system is in excellent condition and is featured on the legacy computer portable- laptop-notebook page. The donor of this system wished to remain anonymous. Thank you! |
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Former Microsoft® Bob™ Developer Visits D2CA's Microsoft Bob Exhibit, Comments On Site
July 19, 2008 Charles Oppermann, Program Manager in the Consumer Division (1994-1995), Microsoft Corporation, contacted me on July 19 and gave some very nice compliments about my Microsoft Bob Exhibit. Mr. Oppermann worked on Microsoft Bob from 1994 to 1995. Mr. Oppermann is currently the Program Manager of the Speech Components Group at Microsoft. On July 28, 2008, Mr. Opperman blogged about his visit to my Microsoft Bob Exhibit and linked both to it and to D2CA's home page. His blog can be found at http://blogs.msdn.com/chuckop/archive/2008/07/28/where-can-i-get-the-microsoft-bob-sdk.aspx. Thank you, Charles! |
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D2CA acquires early laptop computer
In July 2008, my wife found this 1986 Toshiba T3100/20 laptop at a local thrift store for US$15.00. It is one of the earliest 286 laptop computers, pre-dating some portable "lunchbox" computers. It is 22 years old and still running. How many new notebook computers made today will still be working in 2030? Looking more like a portable typewriter with a screen attatched to it, this is an 8MHz 286 system with 640K RAM, 20MB MFM hard drive, 3½" 720K floppy drive, and a 9½" amber monochrome gas plasma screen. There is no battery -- it is designed to be powered from an electric outlet. This system is in excellent condition and is featured on the legacy computer portable- laptop-notebook page. Thank you, sweetheart! |
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D2CA acquires legacy PDA
In July 2008 I found this Handspring Visor Deluxe PDA at a local thrift store for US$7.00. It also came with a USB HotSync cradle, Handspring desktop software and plastic top cover. Originally, it had a defective LCD screen. The upper menu section and time, battery status portion would not display. I bought a second Visor Deluxe on ebay for US$20.00 with shipping that had a fully working LCD display. It also came with a plastic top cover, USB cradle, and leather slipcase. The ebay PDA had older versions of Palm OS and software and did not have the extra software the thrift store PDA had. I was able to swap LCD screens and now the thrift store PDA is fully functional. It actually cost less to acquire the second PDA than to buy a replacement LCD screen, which was selling for US$30 and more -- more than my total cost for both PDA's. These PDA's are still being sold today for as much as US$90! This 2000 PDA is featured on D2CA's Legacy PDA's & Handhelds page. |
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Helping Dan's 20th Century Abandonware Grow
Mike S. from IL USA has made a third generous donation to Dan's 20th Century Abandonware in July 2008. Mike's third donation includes: - A Palm m100 PDA - A Compaq C120 handheld personal computer (HPC) - Basic Computer Literacy VHS training video (1994) - Maintaining Your PC VHS training video (1994) - A unique Logitech serial mouse shaped like a mouse - A very old Logitech 3-button serial mouse - A 1984 sealed box of Verbatim 5¼" double-sided, quad-density disks - A dual-tray MediaMate 5¼" floppy disk storage container - A 3M 5¼" 10-disk storage container - Dozens of used 5¼" floppy disks (to be formatted as surplus) - Original shrinkwrapped package of Windows for Workgroups add-on 3.1 - Original shrinkwrapped package of WordPerfect for Windows 5.2 - Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia - Expert Greeting Card Maker - GeoSafari Platinum Edition for Windows 3.1x and Macintosh - Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.4 for DOS - MS-DOS 5 Upgrade - Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia - Microsoft Internet Explorer Starter Kit for Windows and Macintosh - MOSAIC In A Box for Windows 95 - McAFee VirusScan 2.2.0 for Windows 3.1x Mike is the first to donate legacy PDA's to D2CA. These handhelds are featured on D2CA's Legacy PDA's & Handhelds page. Thank you, Mike! |
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Helping Dan's 20th Century Abandonware Grow
In July 2008, Raymond B. from OK USA donated a fully- functional 1982 KAYPRO II transportable "luggable" computer to D2CA. Raymond also donated two full sets of KAYPRO II software, two sets of Perfect Software manuals, a full set of KAYPRO II manuals with some second duplicates, the original license documents for the KAYPRO software, miscellaneous KAYPRO CP/M utility and communication titles and even 2 CP/M text games. This KAYPRO II is in near-mint condition and doesn't even have any scratches, no screen "burn-in," the two 5¼" floppy drives are in premium condition, and the computer was delivered with its original floppy disk transport protectors in place. This was a well cared for system and it will continue to be cared for. This system is featured on the legacy computer portable-laptop-notebook page. Raymond also donated several other legacy titles including drivers, communication software, "office" software and more. Thank you, Raymond! |
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D2CA loses its first legacy computer system
I knew when I started collecting legacy computer systems and software that it would not endure forever in its original form. I have lost my first legacy computer system to catastrophic hardware failure. That system was a 1999 Gateway Astro "all-in-one" system. I acquired it in 2002 as partial "payment" for computer services rendered. While it wasn't one of the more asthetically pleasing systems, it performed admirably until its untimely demise in June 2008. R.I.P. You will not be forgotten. I have created a legacy computer "graveyard" page to serve as a memorial for all the dearly departed computer systems from D2CA. |
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Dan's wife finds 18 eight-inch floppy disks for D2CA at a yard sale!
June 3, 2008 
While my wife was purusing the local yard sales, she called me on her cell phone from one and asked if I wanted any eight-inch floppy disks.
Are you kidding??? She found not one, not two, but eighteen eight-inch floppy disks, two different brands of blank media, and still in their original boxes! She bought them, along with an old Apple mouse and keyboard, for only US$3.00! A 10-count box of Shugart Associate 8" floppy disks had 7 disks in it. A 10-count box of Graphic Arts 8" floppy disks had 11 eight-inch floppies in it. Only two of the 18 floppy disks still had their protective paper sleeves. They are two different Shugart Associates sleeves. All the floppy disks have data backed up on them. Some are labeled " * CLASSIFIED * ." The writing on the label in the photo is dated 1981. I have created a "computer artifacts" page to showcase these floppy disk sleeves and boxes. Prior to this incredible find by my Mrs., the only 8" floppy disk I had was one I procured on ebay last year -- an original 1981 commercial release of Microsoft FORTRAN-80 Release 3.44 for CP/M 80 along with its original Microsoft manual bearing Microsoft's second business logo style! This title is featured on the computer artifacts rare legacy computer software page. At this same yard sale, my wife also found a fully-functional Macintosh Workgroup Server 9650/233, tower & keyboard only, and got them for only US$10.00! This will be featured later and included in the computer hardware section of this site. Great job, sweetheart! |
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Welcome to the NEW domain for Dan's 20th Century Abandonware!
May 26, 2008 On May 26, 2008 Dan's 20th Century Abandonware moved from dans20thcenturyabandonware.com to d2ca.org. All content has been removed from dans20thcenturyabandonware.com. Dans20thcenturyabandonware.com and its e-mail addresses will remain for the foreseeable future. This is the last domain change for Dan's 20th Century Abandonware. If you have any questions about D2CA's domain change, please contact me. |
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D2CA Digital Software Archive Volume Totals
- 02/06/2000: My digital archive volume surpasses 5GB (and I'm on my way...) - 11/25/2004: My digital archive volume surpasses 100GB - 09/20/2008: My digital archive volume surpasses 250GB D2CA Milestone Collection Legacy Software Titles: Collection Title #1: Grammatik IV 2.0 for DOS Collection Title #100: AutoSketch 1.02 for Windows 3.1x Collection Title #1,000: Microsoft Office 97 Standard (3½" DMF floppies) Collection Title #2,500: Microsoft Visual InterDev 1.0 |
 BSOG: The "Black Screen of Gibberish" This is a common sight when you: A. Start any program in Microsoft® Windows® Vista™ B. Save any file on a Macintosh® C. Finish entering your credit card information at an Internet site D. All of the above E. Crash a program on a Commodore 64 |
What Is Abandonware?
by Dan Rose
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What is abandonware? When you think of the word "abandonware," what is the first thought that comes to mind? Pirated software? Websites offering illegal Internet downloads of copyrighted software? Copyright infringement? In spite of numerous illegal "abandonware archive" and "warez" sites doing just that on the Internet -- Dan's 20th Century Abandonware not being one of them -- the true definition of "abandonware" might surprise you. "Abandonware," the term coined by others, refers to "software titles that are no longer distributed through normal retail outlets, and have had all support 'abandoned.' " It can be any software made for any computer system. "Old" doesn't always mean "free." Abandonware does not always mean "freeware." It only means its support has been "abandoned" -- not necessarily its copyright. In the United States of America, U.S. Copyright Law allows: - A "corporate body" to maintain copyright protection on an item for 28 years, with the option to renew for an additional 67 years. - An individual to maintain copyright protection on an item for their entire lifetime plus 70 years. A corporation or individual can stop supporting a software program, but still maintain legal copyright protection. Don't assume that just because a copyrighted program is "old" it is automatically OK to give out copies. You could end up answering to a corporate or individual's attorney. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 Many people mistakenly believe The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 provides protection to people committing copyright infringement. In fact, it actually strengthens existing copyright infringement laws while it also provides "limitations on the liability of online service providers for copyright infringement when engaging in certain types of activities." If you read the document you will not find anywhere in it language that justifies copyright infringement. If a provider receives a complaint of a user committing copyright infringement, the provider can receive limitations on the consequences of this act if they terminate the offending user's ability to access or provide access to illegal material. The "Fair Use" Clause "Fair use" as defined in Chapter 1, Section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law states: "Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include — 1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 2) the nature of the copyrighted work; 3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and 4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors." Does the above "fair use" definition allow an exception for Internet websites to offer downloads of copyright-protected titles deemed non-distributable? Why do you think many software companies have incorporated activation processes in their software? How will someone justify their "fair use" right to activate an illegal copy of an operating system such as Windows XP that they downloaded from some "warez" site and are trying to use a Product Key that was not legally purchased? "Educational purposes?" "Purposes of research?" Contact Microsoft and see what they say. Is Abandonware Legal? The term "abandonware" does not automatically equate to "copyright infringement." For an in-depth analysis of the true definition of "abandonware," please visit my "Is Abandonware Legal?" page. But, we're beginning to stray off topic. Now, back to "What Is Abandonware?"... Older, but still as good as new. Abandonware is termed "obsolete" because there is newer software to run in its place. But does that make the original software any less functional? No. It still does exactly the same thing it did before it was replaced by a newer version or another program. Bring us your hard-earned cash -- again, and again, and again... The computer industry is always touting the newest, latest, and greatest computer system, operating system, application program, game, etc. They do this to keep you spending more and more money on hardware, software, and any accessory they can make you believe you "need." But the one unspoken truth they do not want you to know is this: You need only enough computer hardware and software to do what you want to do. Older is still good -- and far less expensive. Both computer hardware and software vendors know that PCs in the 4MHz to 1+GHz range, Macintosh, and PowerPCs, are turning up at thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, and have been in landfills for years. They know there is feature-rich Apple, DOS, GEM, GeoWorks, OS/2, Windows 3.x, and 32-bit Windows 95/98/NT/2000 software that can be as productive today on these "obsolete" systems as when it was new. They also know many people are sick and tired of shelling out large sums of money over and over to "keep current" with the latest technology when in many cases their current hardware and software is adequate to accomplish their tasks. Can the average family afford to spend thousands of US dollars every year to "keep current?" This is exactly what the industry wants you to do. It frightens the computer industry to know that many people have turned their backs on the "latest and greatest" and are doing just fine with that "museum piece." This represents a threat to hardware vendors' revenue. This is why you don't see PCs selling for US$3,000+ anymore. People won't pay those outrageous prices. This is also why you don't see word processors, spreadsheets, etc. selling for US$495 each anymore. Nobody will pay that price today. How many people actually pay US$2,000+ for high-end graphics software and US$3,000+ for high-end CAD software? Most likely they paid less for their computer systems. A software company's greatest fear -- those who resist upgrading. Why do software companies cling so tightly to the copyrights of their older versions -- back to the early 1980's and beyond -- and pursue so vehemently those who infringe upon the copyrights of this old, "obsolete" software? Many of these older programs, especially Windows 3.1x/95/98/NT/2000 and Macintosh System 7 & 8 versions, have enough features that you may not feel the need to buy the latest version. Software companies translate this as lost sales which they further translate as lost revenue. Multiply that by millions of people on the Internet and potentially millions more off-line and you see their concern. Why do you think software and hardware computer companies keep inventing ways to force obsolescence onto computer users? If the newest computers could still run the oldest programs, how many people would continue to use their same versions of software? A lot more than these companies are willing to allow, at any (R&D) cost. Let's look at it another way. If you could do everything you needed to with a version of a Windows 98-based "office" suite, and you could purchase the original software for US$5.00, would you do this or would you spend upwards of US$500.00 for the newest version of the same software? Free is good -- for the consumer. If you knew you could accomplish 99% of your computing needs on a 1GHz PC, and someone donated this system to you, would you still spend upwards of US$2,000.00 on the "latest and greatest" system? All that being said, consider this: Do you need the latest, fastest, most expensive personal computer, operating system, and software to:
It is easy to combine inexpensive "abandonware" software with "obsolete" PCs up to 586 and 686-class, and now even 1+GHz systems, to get a lot of computing power for very little, and sometimes no, cost. So the next time that retail promoter says you "have" to have that fancy new system, ask yourself: - Do I have to purchase a PC running the latest version of Windows? - Will I have to upgrade it in three months to keep up with the latest software? - Will components such as the power supply, motherboard, and disk drives last more than four years without failing? - Am I forced to buy bundled software I don't want? If you answered "no" to two or more of the above questions, you shouldn't buy that new system. If you are a current computer owner and your system seems a little "slow" you may be able to achieve satisfactory performance with your current system again by upgrading these items:
"Why should I buy a computer that has an operating system I don't want to use?" "Why should I buy a system if I have to upgrade it three months later to run newer software?" "Why would I buy a computer which has components that will fail in four years or less?" "Why should I be forced to buy extra software I don't want and won't use?" UPGRADING TO "THE LATEST AND GREATEST" The Software Issue: When you buy a new computer from most leading vendors, they install the newest operating system available. Sometimes, you may need a different operating system or no operating system installed. Nearly all the major computer vendors will not sell you a computer with a blank hard drive or an operating system other than the newest on the market because they have entered into agreements with software operating system vendors to ship the latest operating system with their units. And as newer hardware components are included with new computers, these devices may not function on older operating systems and the vendors may not make drivers to support these devices on older operating systems. Many hardware vendors also force you to buy bundled software packages that often you won't use. This is because the hardware vendors have entered into agreements with software vendors, sometimes the same vendor selling the operating system, to sell their programs with the computers. This raises the overall cost of the system so the hardware vendors can pay off the software vendors' bundled software. Where the public might not buy these programs on their own, the software vendors are guaranteed sales of their programs through the hardware vendors forcing you to purchase them if you want to buy their computer. Is this fair? No longer is the consumer free to decide what they want to buy -- the computer hardware/software industries are forcing you to buy what they want you to buy, whether you want it or not. As newer operating systems are distributed with the latest computers, older software may not run properly on them or may not run at all. Some older programs are compiled for specific operating system versions and/or processors. You may find yourself forced to purchase newer versions of software, if they exist, or purchasing different software to achieve your goals. The Hardware Issue: For many years, hardware vendors have distributed units with custom components that cannot be replaced except with the same component from that vendor. If you buy one of these units, you cannot replace a proprietary components with a standard one. Why do these vendors do this? To force you to pay them for hardware replacements. They feel if you make a major investment in their units, you won't "jump ship" and buy another complete system from another vendor -- that it's less expensive to bite the bullet and give your original vendor a little more currency, thus staying "hooked" to them. This gives you only two buying options; keep feeding the original vendor or start over with another one in the hopes of more universal compatibility. This gives the computer hardware vendors the leverage they want -- limiting your buying options. 
The Extinction Of The Floppy Disk.- 1991: Apple stopped selling computers with 5¼" floppy drives. - 1994: PC manufacturers stopped selling computers with 5¼" floppy drives. - 1998: Apple stopped selling computers with 3½" floppy drives. - 2003: PC manufacturers stopped selling notebook computers with 3½" floppy drives. - 2003: PC manufacturers included 3½" floppy drives in desktop computers only as "add-ons." - 2004: PC manufacturers stopped selling desktop computers with 3½" floppy drives 
In 2004, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at the 2004 Windows Hardware Engineering Conference was quoted
as saying, "This is the first time I can say that the floppy disk is dead. You know, we enjoyed the floppy
disk. It was nice. It got smaller and smaller. But because of compatibility reasons it sort of got stuck at the
1.44 megabyte level. Carrying them around and that big physical slot in machines became a real burden."
"Big physical slot"? If the floppy disk is "dead," why are so many companies still currently selling internal floppy drives? Why do motherboards continue to have floppy disk controllers and floppy BIOS support? And when computer manufacturers stopped including floppy drives in their units, why did they and other companies start offering external USB floppy drives?  Long after the floppy disk was declared "dead," industrial software companies continued to distribute their license "keys" on floppy disks. If the computer the software was to be installed on did not have an internal floppy disk drive an external USB floppy drive was necessary to "unlock" the software. Did you know that Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP support 5¼" floppy drives? And while Windows XP will not format 5¼" and 3½" 720K double-density disks from Explore it will from a command prompt using the FORMAT /f: command. Now, tell me again, who said "DOS is dead?" This is just another way to force people to move "up" to different media -- CD, DVD, USB "flash drives," etc. It forces you to newer media "platforms," leaving floppy disks to become yet another abandoned computing media. While it's true that many of the files we create today are larger than a 1.44MB floppy disk's capacity, the floppy drives could still be utilized to install and run older floppy-based software. Could it be that floppy disks and the drives that read them were forced (yes, forced) into obsolescence by the computer industry in an attempt to prevent people from using old floppy-based software on new computers? This would force consumers to purchase newer versions of software on newer media -- CD, DVD, Internet download, etc. 
If "the floppy disk is dead," why do many software companies still use the image of a 3½" floppy to represent the "save" functions
on toolbars and in menus?
When motherboard manufacturers stop making motherboards with floppy disk controllers and floppy disk BIOS support, and computer operating systems no longer recognize floppy disk drives, then the floppy disk will truly be "dead" -- both 5¼" and 3½". Then, manufacturers will stop producing 3½" internal and USB external floppy drives. But how many years will retailers continue to offer 3½" floppy disks for all the "obsolete" computers still in operation? Even today it is still possible to purchase surplus 5¼" floppy disks ... and they have been "dead" for how long? For all practical purposes, the only floppy disks that are truly "dead" are 8" floppies because there are very few drives left in existence to read the disks and no personal computer since the late 70's has any hardware support for them. Post-70's PCs have no floppy controllers on motherboards for 8" floppies, have no BIOS support for 8" floppies, and there are no compatible drives for 8" floppies to run on post-70's PCs. So, yes, 8" floppy disks are "dead." The Plain Truth: What the computer software/hardware industries want are for you to keep giving them more and more of your money over and over year after year. These industries, like all the rest, don't care about what you want or what you need -- all they care about is getting your money ... as much as they can for as long as they can. If you don't buy their products willingly, they create policies to try to force you into buying them by bundling products together. In order to buy one, you must buy the other. Do It Yourself - Part I: If you can't make do with an older computer and you do need the "latest and greatest," there is a way to break the stranglehold of greedy vendor tactics -- build your own computer. As long as standard chassis cases and drives continue to be manufactured you can assemble your own unit, to your specs, put the operating system of your choice on it, and not be forced to purchase extra software you don't want. In years past, the general public was not as computer literate. Now that computers are part of many peoples' lives, they have learned more about them. How to run them, how to fix certain problems, and even how to upgrade them. Computer repair shops are seeing less and less business because the customer has also become their own customer service. We can order our own parts, install them ourselves, and not be billed an extra percentage for parts and those exorbitant service charges, thank you very much. And if you don't have the knowledge yourself, chances are you know someone who does -- a friend, a co-worker, your second-grade child, or Joe or Jane across the street. A computer's components are just that, swap-out and swap-in components. Load a driver here, a little configuration change there, maybe install a software program or two, reboot the computer, and you're up and running. No A+ certification required. Building your own computer, from industry-standard components, guarantees compatibility and longevity. When a CD-ROM drive fails, remove it and replace it with a faster one. If you want a faster CD-burner you don't have to order a whole tower to get one. Just the drive itself. When you're ready for more computing power, replace that older motherboard and CPU with a newer one -- much less than the cost of a new computer -- and the rest of your hardware, and possibly the RAM from the old motherboard, will work with it. You aren't stuck having to buy an extra monitor, printer, keyboard, mouse, and software you don't need. You can replace just the components you need without entering into agreements you don't agree with. And warranties? All your components have warranties. If one fails you just send the component in for replacement. You don't have to ship the whole computer along with it (that has all your personal files on its hard drive). Do It Yourself - Part II: If your computer needs don't require a system whose clock speed starts with a "3," there is a way to avoid the scare and snare tactics of computer dealers and computer vendors and save yourself a lot of currency -- build your own computer from second- hand components. Pick up a used monitor at a garage sale. Get a keyboard and mouse at the Salvation Army store. Find a CPU case at the thrift store of your choice. Ask your friend to donate that old printer they were going to throw away. Use the floppy drive from your 386 PC. You can mix and match low-cost, second-hand components -- floppy drives, hard drives, CD-ROM drives, monitors, keyboards, mice, memory modules, power supplies, modems, video cards, sound cards, network cards, motherboards, CPUs, etc. -- to create a complete, working system. You can also find better components than originally offered when the systems were new to upgrade them far beyond their original configuration for a fraction of what the original cost would have been. It is even possible to upgrade them enough to run hardware and software that did not exist at the time these systems were new.
What is beginning to prove to be sad but true is as time goes on, "old" computer components are outlasting "new"
ones. There are 8088 XT computers over 20 years old that are still running as good today as when they were new. I
know -- I have one. And with the right software installed on it, it can still accomplish many of the tasks listed earlier in this article.
How long does a new power supply last these days? A new motherboard? A new DVD-burner drive? A new monitor? The 8088 XT I mentioned earlier still has its original 1983 color CGA monitor, and it has just as good a picture today as it did over 20 years ago. No bad pixels, no phosphor screen "burn-in," no blurred display, no discoloring. How many new "flat panel" monitors will still be working with no flaws 20+ years from now? If you have a limited income, you may have to settle for having a computer that isn't quite as fast as "the Jones's" computer across the street, but chances are you'll still be using that same computer after they have had to purchase three or four new ones -- while replacing components between purchases -- because new components have a higher and earlier failure rate to make you, the consumer, spend more and more money replacing them in order to line the vendor's pocket. How much is it worth to "keep up with the Jones's?" By building a computer system from second-hand components, with a little time and effort you can have a custom configuration that suits your needs -- not a computer vendor's. WHAT DO YOU WANT? It all comes down to this simple question: What do you want to use a computer for? Answer that and you can determine the amount of muscle you need in hardware, software, and accessories. Why spend a lot of money on the "latest and greatest" when you may be able to achieve your computing goals with an older one for many times less? Questions? Comments? Contact me. |
Teach children with educational software? Absolutely not. This is perhaps one of the greatest values an "obsolete"
computer will ever retain -- the ability to teach children knowledge with educational software. No matter how old the computer
or the educational software, knowledge is knowledge -- be it math, reading, telling time, etc. There is DOS educational software
that can run on 8088 or higher PCs and Windows 3.x educational software that can run on 286/386/486 or later PCs. There is
also 32-bit Windows 95/98 educational software with advanced multimedia that can run on a 90MHz PC or later.
Use high-end digital photography? Play full-screen DVD and other multimedia? Well, just about on both counts. These
technologies did not exist when XT's, 286's, 386's, 486's, and low-end 586-class PCs were the cutting-edge technology of the
day. A well-equipped 350MHz PC is hard pressed to display full-screen multimedia with any kind of acceptable response. A
high-end 486 or low-end 586-class PC can display 16-bit color images provided they have sufficient RAM and video capability
(many times more than the average that was given out when they were new). But large digital photographs will take a long time
to display and the time lag to manipulate them will render these tasks unacceptable because these systems were not designed
to handle such tasks. This is analogous to trying to break the sound barrier on a bicycle. Unless you strap on some serious
propulsion you just won't be able to do it.
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Updated last on 11/19/2008.
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