48 ms·
> thousands of device drivers that were written over 10 years ago which work perfectly well on current versions of Windows Is that really true? A couple months
by wtracy 8y ago
> thousands of device drivers that were written over 10 years ago which work perfectly well on current versions of Windows
Is that really true? A couple months ago I bought a USB to serial adapter that advertised Windows Vista support on the packaging. It did not work with Windows 10 at all, and I ended up returning it.
I have plenty of hazy memories of printers that worked fine under Windows 9x not playing nice with Windows XP.
- gmueckl 8y agoWell, 9x and XP were two completely different operating systems that just implemented similar user space APIs. That was a one time transition. Drivers written for NT or 2k might have worked.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y agoIt's unfair to use printers as an example. For one, they're still a huge problem in Linux, but for two they're universally regarded as some of the crappiest things to work with in all of IT.
- vetinari 8y agoPrinters under Linux have also one positive feature: if the specific model is supported, it is really plug and play. The hard part is to choose, which model to purchase.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y agoIn my experience that is not true. The few printers I've had to set up on a Linux device required me to go find PPDs.
- vetinari 8y agoMy experience is, that I go to the printer control panel and the printer is already there. Fedora & Ubuntu; mostly HP printers.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y agoYou sound like everyone who talks about how Linux "just works" if only they choose exactly the right hardware and distribution combination.
- vetinari 8y agoWell, if you choose a more hardcore distribution that doesn't "just work" and requires tinkering, it is hardly a Linux fault.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y agoFor the record, the last time I did this it was Ubuntu and I think the printer was Brother. Neither particularly uncommon. Point is, because you're an apologist it literally doesn't matter what my circumstances are, you'll try to blame me anyways.
- vetinari 8y agoJust like you were describing your experience, I was describing mine. But because you experienced the not-so-ideal scenario, doesn't mean that all scenarios are like that. If I used your argumentation, you are just an hater that blames system you don't like, in the most general way possible, which unsurprisingly includes scenarios that objectively do not conform to your description. Note that I wrote "if the specific model is supported" and "the hard part is to choose, which model to purchase."
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago> Note that I wrote "if the specific model is supported" and "the hard part is to choose, which model to purchase." Yeah, but that certainly doesn't mean it doesn't have a lot of problems with printers now does it? After all, I can say that IE works great as long as you only visit pages supported by IE.