3 ms·

This is a work of fiction, filled with 75% pure fantasy, and the rest half wrong. All the hardware stuff is pure fantasy; they were using an emulator. So all t

This is a work of fiction, filled with 75% pure fantasy, and the rest half wrong. All the hardware stuff is pure fantasy; they were using an emulator. So all the pics and all that text, including nonsense like "3 PIC slots" and "two EDO RAM" -- Peripheral Component Interconnect is not even similar to a Peripheral Interrupt Controller; EDO RAM only works on a Pentium, and it's a type of chip, it's not countable -- this stuff is 100% pure fiction. No, Win95 was not the first fully 32-bit Windows from Microsoft. 1. It's not fully 32-bit; it's a hybrid, with 16-bit code. 2. It's not the first; that was NT 3.1, which is fully 32-bit. It didn't bring programming to consumers. Did consumers want programming anyway? This is pure fakery, in broken English, from someone who doesn't really know their stuff -- and probably is not really old, as they claim. It's just playing pretend.

yankcrime 3y ago
> All the hardware stuff is pure fantasy That's a very uncharitable take. More likely it's a typo (that board has PCI slots). > EDO RAM only works on a Pentium Not true, EDO was supported on some boards. This is the board mentioned in the article: https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-pvi-486sp3 https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-pvi-486sp3
- lproven 3y ago
  I know it's a typo! But this is someone saying they are "an old developer" and blogging about running an OS on old kit, in some depth, discussing what adapters they are using... And there is no kit. No CPU, no motherboard, nothing. It's all a total fantasy. They are running a PC emulator on an M1 Mac, as far as I can see. The author, downthread, says they were practising tech blogging. This is the feedback! Write about the real stuff you are using. Don't make stuff up -- EVER. No fantasy, no wishlists, no daydreaming. Use real kit, and if you can't, don't pretend. If you are using an emulator, describe it. Show it. Say how you built it, show what options you picked, what you built it with, and how, and why. Because this person made a bunch of stuff up, without making it clear they were making it up, and then they got the stuff they made up wrong. Even the facts and claims about the contemporary tools are wrong. I have no clue about main loops in the Win32 API and I don't care, but I can't trust that that's right either when the rest of the post can't distinguish between a PIC and PCI, and can't count SIMM slots, and doesn't seem to know about the bits I do know. It it the same issue as this famous Mastodon post from the end of last year: https://mastodon.social/@rodhilton/109572674700288958 https://mastodon.social/@rodhilton/109572674700288958 « He talked about electric cars. I don't know anything about cars, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius. Then he talked about rockets. I don't know anything about rockets, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius. Now he talks about software. I happen to know a lot about software & Elon Musk is saying the stupidest shit I've ever heard anyone say, so when people say he's a genius I figure I should stay the hell away from his cars and rockets. » This is a blog post about software development in early MS 32-bit tools. I know nothing about that. But the blog post talks at length about 1990s hardware, something I know a lot about, and about 1990s MS operating systems, something else I know a lot about... And that stuff is all wrong. So it makes me not trust the bits of it that are about the stuff I don't know about, and since that is the core subject of the post, that matters. Someone was trying to show off their knowledge, and it didn't work, and I am calling it out.
  - MichaelRo 3y ago
    To add insult to injury he runs the PC emulator on an ... Apple. It's like putting Dracula in a Church. But I get what you say and agree with you that it's a pointless dribble. Shows all those pictures of motherboard and CPU and Sound Blaster cards and to what purpose? It's a darn emulator! They could show the picture of an alien's butt and would make more sense, at least it would be clear it's all imagined. Yeah and you can find the OP on LinkedIn, given the crap he posted here I wouldn't expect he'd have the brains to hide his true identity when he makes a fool of himself.
marcodiego 3y ago
I did something similar a few years ago to get the feeling of how a 90's developer would work developing GUI's using tools that came with CDE. I compiled CDE from source using a Debian I installed from debootstrap. Installing Debian that way was already lot of work a good learning experience. Of course, a 90's developer with access to a UNIX workstation probably wouldn't have to install the system or all the tools themselves. After running CDE, I then did some quick but enlightening experiments with application builder. Although I liked the fact that I could use C, it was not as flowed, fast or cheap as delphi was at the time. Actually even the UI theme wasn't as attractive. But it was fun. It felt powerful. The feeling that I was using a tool that has been developed decades ago, somewhat maintained and compiled on a modern system thanks to the source being available was impressive. There was a feeling of integration. Some form of integration of ideas, ideals and philosophy. I mean... it was the same tools, but running a modern system, modern hardware, modern compilers, debug and analysis tools which use theories that didn't even exist when those tools were envisioned. And all that worked nicely because there was a form of vote, an agreement, in following standards. I understand now, from proper experience, why some people could see an aura of superiority around UNIX devs.

yankcrime 3y ago

> All the hardware stuff is pure fantasy That's a very uncharitable take. More likely it's a typo (that board has PCI slots). > EDO RAM only works on a Pentium Not true, EDO was supported on some boards. This is the board mentioned in the article: https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-pvi-486sp3 https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/asus-pvi-486sp3

lproven 3y ago
I know it's a typo! But this is someone saying they are "an old developer" and blogging about running an OS on old kit, in some depth, discussing what adapters they are using... And there is no kit. No CPU, no motherboard, nothing. It's all a total fantasy. They are running a PC emulator on an M1 Mac, as far as I can see. The author, downthread, says they were practising tech blogging. This is the feedback! Write about the real stuff you are using. Don't make stuff up -- EVER. No fantasy, no wishlists, no daydreaming. Use real kit, and if you can't, don't pretend. If you are using an emulator, describe it. Show it. Say how you built it, show what options you picked, what you built it with, and how, and why. Because this person made a bunch of stuff up, without making it clear they were making it up, and then they got the stuff they made up wrong. Even the facts and claims about the contemporary tools are wrong. I have no clue about main loops in the Win32 API and I don't care, but I can't trust that that's right either when the rest of the post can't distinguish between a PIC and PCI, and can't count SIMM slots, and doesn't seem to know about the bits I do know. It it the same issue as this famous Mastodon post from the end of last year: https://mastodon.social/@rodhilton/109572674700288958 https://mastodon.social/@rodhilton/109572674700288958 « He talked about electric cars. I don't know anything about cars, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius. Then he talked about rockets. I don't know anything about rockets, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius. Now he talks about software. I happen to know a lot about software & Elon Musk is saying the stupidest shit I've ever heard anyone say, so when people say he's a genius I figure I should stay the hell away from his cars and rockets. » This is a blog post about software development in early MS 32-bit tools. I know nothing about that. But the blog post talks at length about 1990s hardware, something I know a lot about, and about 1990s MS operating systems, something else I know a lot about... And that stuff is all wrong. So it makes me not trust the bits of it that are about the stuff I don't know about, and since that is the core subject of the post, that matters. Someone was trying to show off their knowledge, and it didn't work, and I am calling it out.
- MichaelRo 3y ago
  To add insult to injury he runs the PC emulator on an ... Apple. It's like putting Dracula in a Church. But I get what you say and agree with you that it's a pointless dribble. Shows all those pictures of motherboard and CPU and Sound Blaster cards and to what purpose? It's a darn emulator! They could show the picture of an alien's butt and would make more sense, at least it would be clear it's all imagined. Yeah and you can find the OP on LinkedIn, given the crap he posted here I wouldn't expect he'd have the brains to hide his true identity when he makes a fool of himself.

marcodiego 3y ago

I did something similar a few years ago to get the feeling of how a 90's developer would work developing GUI's using tools that came with CDE. I compiled CDE from source using a Debian I installed from debootstrap. Installing Debian that way was already lot of work a good learning experience. Of course, a 90's developer with access to a UNIX workstation probably wouldn't have to install the system or all the tools themselves. After running CDE, I then did some quick but enlightening experiments with application builder. Although I liked the fact that I could use C, it was not as flowed, fast or cheap as delphi was at the time. Actually even the UI theme wasn't as attractive. But it was fun. It felt powerful. The feeling that I was using a tool that has been developed decades ago, somewhat maintained and compiled on a modern system thanks to the source being available was impressive. There was a feeling of integration. Some form of integration of ideas, ideals and philosophy. I mean... it was the same tools, but running a modern system, modern hardware, modern compilers, debug and analysis tools which use theories that didn't even exist when those tools were envisioned. And all that worked nicely because there was a form of vote, an agreement, in following standards. I understand now, from proper experience, why some people could see an aura of superiority around UNIX devs.