just a few excel spreadsheets for each client.
If they can fit onto a floppy then they aren't proper spreadsheets. 
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What old piece of technology/software do you refuse to let go of!?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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A filofax...
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm all for retro technology, but I can't think of a single compelling reason to use a USB floppy drive over a USB pendrive. Good grief.
As an aside; I remember a while back in a previous job, on of my then-users rang us to order a new box of floppy disks. I asked, "er, why?" Long story short, she had some arcane piece of software which required backing up weekly and then backup data FTPing to some remote site somewhere. Back in the late Jurassic when this had been implemented, floppy disks had been the obvious solution to bridge the two processes.
Every week, she'd sit there feeding it floppy disks to run the backup, maybe ten disks' worth. Then, she'd feed them back in, one at a time, whilst the FTP script ran and sucked all the data back off again. It took all afternoon, it was her Friday ritual.
Once I'd done boggling, I thought "there has to be a better way." I rewrote all the scripts and changed the application settings so that it ran from the hard disk. The new process involved hitting 'backup' in the application, double-clicking a script to pre-process the data into the format that the FTP program expected, and then kicking off the transfer. The whole process took about two minutes.
Immensely proud, I rang her back to explain what I'd done. She fundementally couldn't grasp that she didn't need the disks any more, because someone had told her they were "important" back in 1927. Every time I explained a step she'd to follow, she replied "right, and do I put my disks in now?"
In the end I gave up, and told her to put a disk in. It never touched it of course, but she seemed happy that she was doing it "right" as long as the disks were involved.
People.
Posted 1 year ago # -
We actually have a Windows 3.11 machine in my office running monthly reports form DataEase Express.
Posted 1 year ago # -
16 year old Toshiba laptop and its running MS DOS 6.22!
Only thing that reliably runs GEM80 emulator.
Oh and we have a variety of DEC PC's with 486sx chips in still running windows 3.1 for workgroups, SCAD & NIR process applications don't need much PC power
Posted 1 year ago # -
It works, and it's cheap, and simple. and if one breaks? so what? It's just got a couple of spreadsheets for one client, I can restore from the last PC that had the data. It's almost foolproof.
Just like a USB memory stick then but shitter.
Posted 1 year ago # -
We actually have a Windows 3.11 machine in my office running monthly reports form DataEase Express.
A colleague asked me to help with a machine the other day that turned out to be a 3.11 box. His actual question was, "what the f--k is this?!" - he'd never seen one before.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Weather station wired up to a BBC B computer.
Posted 1 year ago # -
15 yr old petrol lawnmower that has now become a point of principle to maintain. (it was 2nd hand when I bought it so around 20+ yrs old)
Posted 1 year ago # -
Weather station wired up to a BBC B computer.
You win, close the thread.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Only thing that reliably runs GEM80 emulator.
Dare I ask why you need one of those?
Posted 1 year ago # -
This old lass
Posted 1 year ago # -
20 year old Mission speakers, Denon DCD 560 cd player and Arcam Alpha amp. And all still going strong
Posted 1 year ago # -
His actual question was, "what the f--k is this?!" - he'd never seen one before.
It's like a nesting box for malware/virii. They'll be selling them in garden centers next.
Posted 1 year ago # -
vinnyeh - Member
Only thing that reliably runs GEM80 emulator.
Dare I ask why you need one of those?
Ask away
Without it we can't fault find the code in the GEM80 PLC (programmable logic controller) that controls almost every aspect of our flour mill!
GEM80 was a popular PLC system in the 80's & 90's (other PLC's are made by Allen Bradley, Omron, Siemens etc )From Wiki
"More recently, PLCs are programmed using application software on personal computers. The computer is connected to the PLC through Ethernet, RS-232, RS-485 or RS-422 cabling. The programming software allows entry and editing of the ladder-style logic. Generally the software provides functions for debugging and troubleshooting the PLC software, for example, by highlighting portions of the logic to show current status during operation or via simulation. The software will upload and download the PLC program, for backup and restoration purposes.Example
As an example, say a facility needs to store water in a tank. The water is drawn from the tank by another system, as needed, and our example system must manage the water level in the tank.Using only digital signals, the PLC has two digital inputs from float switches (Low Level and High Level). When the water level is above the switch it closes a contact and passes a signal to an input. The PLC uses a digital output to open and close the inlet valve into the tank.
When the water level drops enough so that the Low Level float switch is off (down), the PLC will open the valve to let more water in. Once the water level rises enough so that the High Level switch is on (up), the PLC will shut the inlet to stop the water from overflowing. This rung is an example of seal-in (latching) logic. The output is sealed in until some condition breaks the circuit."
Well you did dare to askPosted 1 year ago # -
For me its Macromedia FreeHand MX.
Despite having the full CS4 suite to go at FreeHand is still my first choice of software for creating logos. Its just so simple and quick to use.
+1
Same here, great app. Runs really quickly on a modernish puta as well.I keep finding uneccessary uses for an old beige g3 desktop.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Though none of them actually very old, I only write (and I do a lot of writing as part of my job) with fountain pens.
As a celebration of the recent birth of my daughter, I am going to buy another, likely a vintage Duofold.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Grand dad's early 1900s oil can
1964 Marlin .22
1972 Husquvarna 77 Chainsaw
1992 Raleigh Dyna tech -[upgraded over the years]
1995 LR Defender
1997 LR Discovery
Main computer is 4 years old running XP, so is old in computer terms. Still run Cardfile from my old 3.1 machine, Autosketch6 from way back and MS Office 2000.BTW nice lathe, Trout
Posted 1 year ago # -
Fuji GX680
Posted 1 year ago # -
my nokia phone.. 5 years old and still works even though I cant read the buttons as the numbers have worn off.
dont even know what type it is as that has worn off too
Posted 1 year ago # -
I don't need them to hold massive amounts of data, just a few excel spreadsheets for each client. My staff can work on it, save changes, move it to a difference PC whatever.
It works, and it's cheap, and simple. and if one breaks? so what? It's just got a couple of spreadsheets for one client, I can restore from the last PC that had the data. It's almost foolproof.
I hope your client spreadsheets don't contain any confidential information
Posted 1 year ago # -
A Pioneer amp & 8ohm Pioneer surround sound speakers provide the sound system for my xbox console, I also use a pair of pioneer headphones to keep noise down when necessary. All Pioneer items were brought by myself in 1984
Posted 1 year ago # -
1994 Merlin XLM and a woodsmans' axe Linn LP12
Posted 1 year ago # -
My granddad's Record engineers vice.
It's probably from the 1940s, possibly the 1930s. After standing for 20 years unused in a damp stable it needed a bit of grease.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ooh, that reminds me.
I use a vice that I bought from a bike shop that was closing down 40 years ago. It was original equipment for the shop which opened in 1890 something. I also got a spoke threader from them too.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I've got an adjustable wrench/spanner that I inherited from my Granddad.
It's a Billings and Spencer. A quick Google reveals they stopped production in the early Sixties.
Posted 1 year ago # -
the wheel
Posted 1 year ago # -
1996 Mitsubishi TV in the living room, along with a 1990 Parker Knoll Recliner (my pride!).
Posted 1 year ago # -
my penis
Posted 1 year ago # -
I have an amstrad PCW stored in the attic - full working condition with manual, printer na so on. Offers? I am awaiting it being an antique
Anyone use a computer that is older than mine in daily use? Must be more than ten years old. Was running win 98 when I got it but now running 2000.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thought I had everything as new as possible then remembered a 1972 mini in the garage.
Posted 1 year ago # -
My Cannon A1 Camera, still can't think about changing it for a DSLR.
Only use a 50mm lens and BW film.Posted 1 year ago # -
Clearing out my grandfathers house after he died, we found loads of old radios. He'd been a radio operator in the Navy during the war and even in his slightly mad old age he could still hold fluent conversations in Morse code. In the little box room and in the shed must have been about 30 radios from 1940's through to 1990's, huge reel to reel tape decks and a Betamax video recorder which was about twice the size of an average microwave and considerably heavier.
Most of it still worked!
Posted 1 year ago # -
These cards....
http://www.samuri.co.uk/crap/working/working-models.html
There's a fairly cool animated gif linked at the bottom.Posted 1 year ago # -
As filthy, im still using an old nokia phone. I can bounce it off the walls and like Marge's butt, it just wont quit.
Posted 1 year ago #
Topic Closed
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