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A more extreme version of that is “permacomputing”—https://permacomputing.net/projects/ https://permacomputing.net/projects/ I still regularly use old systems

A more extreme version of that is “permacomputing”—https://permacomputing.net/projects/ https://permacomputing.net/projects/ I still regularly use old systems for fun. I grew up with Macs, so that’s the point of reference. When I use these old systems, I pine for a few specific things I’m used to on newer systems—but it almost feels like nitpicking. The things that I really want from a computer are pretty basic. Like good, consistent copy/paste and drag ’n’ drop, good autosave, good file browser, that sort of thing. It seems like new, half-baked stuff got dropped in our laps before the basics really got perfected.

ianlevesque 3y ago
It's been a little frustrating watching iOS rip out literally all file management at launch and then slowly reintroduce it all feature by feature one at a time on iPad. Recently you can even mount network shares and use USB drives again.
NovaDudely 3y ago
I am always more than happy to see Permacomputing mentioned. I really think it is a wave of the future that will not be fully realized for another decade or so. Similar to Solar punk, it is still trying to find its feet and a lot of the most optimistic propositions will look silly in retrospect but the potential is there. It also kind of drives me up the wall when you see what was being done on computers in the 80's and 90's on sub 100Mhz processors and realizing just how much efficiency has been lost in the name of ease. Excel shouldn't need to use all 12 threads of my CPU and visibly take time to sort less than a 1MB of data but here we are. I have been working on an essay regarding Permacomputing for the last few weeks and it can be kind of difficult to summarize at times. The closest I can get is that it is part retrospective about want worked in the past but with the direct goal of implementing the goals long term sustainable systems that do not require large external inputs.
- flenserboy 3y ago
  2+ decade-old word processors were fantastic at their jobs, and did 98+% of whatever needs to be done today. It would be great if old codebases could be liberated, cleaned-up, and turned into all-but-perfect tools for the job. Older spreadsheets, databases, etc., could also be renewed this way — but I doubt the corporations holding the rights to them would be interested in making this sort of thing happen. Too little in it for them, especially as (ideally) spy/tracking hooks would not be included in the package.
  - NovaDudely 3y ago
    Absolutely. This is why I feel like projects Libre office are disappointing to both optimists and pessimists. They are free and open but the performance and some capabilities are not so stellar. Maybe there is the possibility to trim down a package like that into something akin to what we had in the 90's but, funnily enough, there is a lot of that 90's legacy that was stacked onto, it looks like there is just too much legacy in it to make that a viable path.
  - int_19h 3y ago
    It's not as easy as it sounds. Making those apps work fast enough on hardware they were originally written on often involved highly convoluted optimized code, and sometimes even handwritten assembly. There is a valid point here, but I don't think reviving old codebases is a good starting point in many cases.
    - flenserboy 3y ago
      You're right on the ease of porting code. It's a shame that so much has been made over the years, and well, and seems to just disappear into the ether.
pyinstallwoes 3y ago
Make Forth Great Again

ianlevesque 3y ago

It's been a little frustrating watching iOS rip out literally all file management at launch and then slowly reintroduce it all feature by feature one at a time on iPad. Recently you can even mount network shares and use USB drives again.

NovaDudely 3y ago

I am always more than happy to see Permacomputing mentioned. I really think it is a wave of the future that will not be fully realized for another decade or so. Similar to Solar punk, it is still trying to find its feet and a lot of the most optimistic propositions will look silly in retrospect but the potential is there. It also kind of drives me up the wall when you see what was being done on computers in the 80's and 90's on sub 100Mhz processors and realizing just how much efficiency has been lost in the name of ease. Excel shouldn't need to use all 12 threads of my CPU and visibly take time to sort less than a 1MB of data but here we are. I have been working on an essay regarding Permacomputing for the last few weeks and it can be kind of difficult to summarize at times. The closest I can get is that it is part retrospective about want worked in the past but with the direct goal of implementing the goals long term sustainable systems that do not require large external inputs.

flenserboy 3y ago
2+ decade-old word processors were fantastic at their jobs, and did 98+% of whatever needs to be done today. It would be great if old codebases could be liberated, cleaned-up, and turned into all-but-perfect tools for the job. Older spreadsheets, databases, etc., could also be renewed this way — but I doubt the corporations holding the rights to them would be interested in making this sort of thing happen. Too little in it for them, especially as (ideally) spy/tracking hooks would not be included in the package.
- NovaDudely 3y ago
  Absolutely. This is why I feel like projects Libre office are disappointing to both optimists and pessimists. They are free and open but the performance and some capabilities are not so stellar. Maybe there is the possibility to trim down a package like that into something akin to what we had in the 90's but, funnily enough, there is a lot of that 90's legacy that was stacked onto, it looks like there is just too much legacy in it to make that a viable path.
- int_19h 3y ago
  It's not as easy as it sounds. Making those apps work fast enough on hardware they were originally written on often involved highly convoluted optimized code, and sometimes even handwritten assembly. There is a valid point here, but I don't think reviving old codebases is a good starting point in many cases.
  - flenserboy 3y ago
    You're right on the ease of porting code. It's a shame that so much has been made over the years, and well, and seems to just disappear into the ether.

pyinstallwoes 3y ago

Make Forth Great Again