Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!unmvax!unmvax.cs.unm.edu!4rst From: 4rst@unmvax.cs.unm.edu (Forrest Black) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: The Poor Old XT Keywords: XT, planned obsolescence Message-ID: <411@unmvax.unm.edu> Date: 3 Oct 89 13:42:26 GMT Sender: 4rst@unmvax.unm.edu Reply-To: 4rst@unmvax.cs.unm.edu (Forrest Black) Distribution: usa Organization: University of Nothing Much at Albuquerque Lines: 45 I just could not resist a comment on thethread. Allow me to present my opinions: The PC and XT introduced many people to everyday computing in a way that CPM and Macs could not: IBM (i.e. Charlie Chaplin, M*A*S*H as promo). In other words, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. It has been suggested that IBM did not choose a more powerful processor than the 8088 (at that time) because they did not wish the PC to compete with their low end business-oriented systems. When properly programmed, even an XT can present a much more graceful and helpful user interface than is possible with a VAX and a VT100. No Mac flames, please. Yes, the 8088 is obsolete. This does not prevent people from asking me to upgrade their 2-floppy PC's to XT's. Working on an 8088 machine after using an AT or 386 is like computing in Jello. But many of the users I have worked with just wouldn't know the difference. Why buy a 12MHz 286 4Mb RAM 80Mb 28ms HD system (a cheapy, today) to print mailing labels? I think that much of the current >=20MHz 386 hoopla is just technophiles enjoying their new toys and keeping up with the Mips-Joneses. My apologies to those who have serious computing needs and cannot afford a real workstation. RIP, XT. The magazines have almost killed you. You shall go the way of the PDP-11. Endearing to some, shunned by the masses, you will live in poverty until your filter caps decay. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % Hello, 4rst! Welcome to Asidonhopo's 80x86 MegaTurboMart Deluxe! % % ------- % % ---------- ######################### 4rst@doc.cs.unm.edu |!]%/%| % % |.{......| # # aka Forrest Black |)!=??| % % |........+#### I speak for myself ## ...unmvax!4rst |.@..1| % % |........| and my little dogg #### ----@-- % % --+------- Toto only. We are # ############################d % % ############ guests of the Wiz. ## # + + + # % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%