4 ms·

> I can't even tell you how many connectivity and graphics technologies MS launched, I developed on, and then they abandoned. How many of these technologies st

> I can't even tell you how many connectivity and graphics technologies MS launched, I developed on, and then they abandoned. How many of these technologies still function on Windows 10? As far as I know many of their abandoned platforms are still fully functional. Even in Windows 10 you can still install 16-bit apps. They've always been dedicated to compatibility... try running a few year old app on a modern smartphone and you'll see the difference.

gruez 8y ago
>Windows 10 you can still install 16-bit apps what? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/896458/64-bit-versions-of-windows-do-not-support-16-bit-components-16-bit-pro https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/896458/64-bit-versi...
- slededit 8y ago
  They ship 32-bit versions still to support those people. As a former msft engineer it was a huge pain in the ass to have to build the 32-bit version all the time - but customers used and relied on it.
  - Aloha 8y ago
    And the technical reason is you cant run NTVDM when the processor is in long mode, because Virtual 8086 Mode cant be run from Long Mode.
    - slededit 8y ago
      I always thought that was a bullshit excuse. They could have emulated it. Its not like 16-bit apps are on the bleeding edge of performance. Still nobody else is supporting 16-bit applications at all anymore so you have to give them credit.
      - wernercd 8y ago
        > they could have emulated it What's the cost/benefit of that? How much would it cost to build it and how much could they make? You can theoretically do ANYTHING... but a business exists to make money... Why does Microsoft support 16bit? because - without a doubt - someone is paying them for that "extra" support.
        slededit 8y ago
        When you make a business decision - don’t pretend it was a technical one. That’s why it’s a bullshit excuse.
        wernercd 8y ago
        "Technical" is part of the excuse... Don't pretend that the "only" reason a company chooses to not do something is "technical". As I said... there are many reasons - and a company exists to make money. If they decide not to do something that doesn't make them money? It's not a hard reason to see why...
  - SyneRyder 8y ago
    As someone with a 32-bit Windows 10, thank you! I have it installed on an old 2006 MacBook, so Microsoft was still providing updates for a 12 year old machine... one that Apple itself abandoned after just 6 years. It's one of my favorite examples of Microsoft's longer support for old hardware. And for what it's worth, after 12 years and 3 Mac purchases, I've switched & just bought a PC again.
    - murukesh_s 8y ago
      Which one did you buy? Mac's screen, keyboard (old one), trackpad, build and battery life is unmatched as far as I could say. I found mac hardware have much more longer life (even though Apple may not support it for that long)..
      - SyneRyder 8y ago
        I went with a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga. It hasn't arrived yet, so I can't directly compare, but I've tried the keyboard & trackpad in store & they feel about as good as my mid-2012 MacBook Pro. I chose the premium screen upgrade to HDR Dolby Digital 500 nits, 8th-Gen Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, touchscreen/pen & 3yr Next Day On-site Warranty was $1500 cheaper than a MacBook Pro with the same specs. The Thinkpad X1 has a user replaceable SSD, so I'll upgrade it to 2TB for $1000 cheaper than Apple's SSD upgrades, which are soldered on. I also love the Black, which fits in with my 2006 & 2007 Black MacBooks. I considered the Surface Book 2, which has an excellent keyboard & trackpad, but the SSD can't be replaced by the user & tops out at 1TB. I was worried about the Surface Book hinge being fragile in my backpack while travelling & commuting. My 2006, 2007 and even my 2000 Pismo G3 Macs all still work well. I used to love Apple reliability & recommended the Apple Store to everyone, I was that guy who queued for a day-one iPhone 4. But my mid-2012 MacBook Pro (bought in 2015) has been a lemon, the data flex cable keeps failing every few months, causing it to corrupt data & eventually lose the boot drive. (SuperDuper! has been a lifesaver.) Apple have replaced the cable 5 times now, each time with a week of downtime, but the replacement cables all have the same known defect & I just can't trust the machine anymore.
        8y ago
shmerl 8y ago
A lot more function in Wine than in Windows 10.
jazzyjackson 8y ago
Not to mention that windows still sticks with carriage return + line feed to maintain compatibility with the 1960s.
- lozenge 8y ago
  Notepad & its underlying text box component support Unix style line endings now.

gruez 8y ago

>Windows 10 you can still install 16-bit apps what? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/896458/64-bit-versions-of-windows-do-not-support-16-bit-components-16-bit-pro https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/896458/64-bit-versi...

slededit 8y ago
They ship 32-bit versions still to support those people. As a former msft engineer it was a huge pain in the ass to have to build the 32-bit version all the time - but customers used and relied on it.
- Aloha 8y ago
  And the technical reason is you cant run NTVDM when the processor is in long mode, because Virtual 8086 Mode cant be run from Long Mode.
  - slededit 8y ago
    I always thought that was a bullshit excuse. They could have emulated it. Its not like 16-bit apps are on the bleeding edge of performance. Still nobody else is supporting 16-bit applications at all anymore so you have to give them credit.
    - wernercd 8y ago
      > they could have emulated it What's the cost/benefit of that? How much would it cost to build it and how much could they make? You can theoretically do ANYTHING... but a business exists to make money... Why does Microsoft support 16bit? because - without a doubt - someone is paying them for that "extra" support.
      - slededit 8y ago
        When you make a business decision - don’t pretend it was a technical one. That’s why it’s a bullshit excuse.
        wernercd 8y ago
        "Technical" is part of the excuse... Don't pretend that the "only" reason a company chooses to not do something is "technical". As I said... there are many reasons - and a company exists to make money. If they decide not to do something that doesn't make them money? It's not a hard reason to see why...
- SyneRyder 8y ago
  As someone with a 32-bit Windows 10, thank you! I have it installed on an old 2006 MacBook, so Microsoft was still providing updates for a 12 year old machine... one that Apple itself abandoned after just 6 years. It's one of my favorite examples of Microsoft's longer support for old hardware. And for what it's worth, after 12 years and 3 Mac purchases, I've switched & just bought a PC again.
  - murukesh_s 8y ago
    Which one did you buy? Mac's screen, keyboard (old one), trackpad, build and battery life is unmatched as far as I could say. I found mac hardware have much more longer life (even though Apple may not support it for that long)..
    - SyneRyder 8y ago
      I went with a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga. It hasn't arrived yet, so I can't directly compare, but I've tried the keyboard & trackpad in store & they feel about as good as my mid-2012 MacBook Pro. I chose the premium screen upgrade to HDR Dolby Digital 500 nits, 8th-Gen Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, touchscreen/pen & 3yr Next Day On-site Warranty was $1500 cheaper than a MacBook Pro with the same specs. The Thinkpad X1 has a user replaceable SSD, so I'll upgrade it to 2TB for $1000 cheaper than Apple's SSD upgrades, which are soldered on. I also love the Black, which fits in with my 2006 & 2007 Black MacBooks. I considered the Surface Book 2, which has an excellent keyboard & trackpad, but the SSD can't be replaced by the user & tops out at 1TB. I was worried about the Surface Book hinge being fragile in my backpack while travelling & commuting. My 2006, 2007 and even my 2000 Pismo G3 Macs all still work well. I used to love Apple reliability & recommended the Apple Store to everyone, I was that guy who queued for a day-one iPhone 4. But my mid-2012 MacBook Pro (bought in 2015) has been a lemon, the data flex cable keeps failing every few months, causing it to corrupt data & eventually lose the boot drive. (SuperDuper! has been a lifesaver.) Apple have replaced the cable 5 times now, each time with a week of downtime, but the replacement cables all have the same known defect & I just can't trust the machine anymore.
      - 8y ago

shmerl 8y ago

A lot more function in Wine than in Windows 10.

jazzyjackson 8y ago

Not to mention that windows still sticks with carriage return + line feed to maintain compatibility with the 1960s.

lozenge 8y ago
Notepad & its underlying text box component support Unix style line endings now.