Legacy programs in Win 8

[karlsnooks]

I found this article interesting, although topic matter has been discussed here.

One thing perhaps new is that we can add Photo Shop 3 to the list of programs that run under Win 8.

Exploring legacy tools in Windows 8

 

[Avalon]

I love that line:

if you’re concerned about where Windows 8′s flashy new approach leaves users of legacy systems

Man, if we're still concerned about legacy programs and systems, it's no wonder people are so aversive to change. Frankly I'm surprised we still manage to innovate with all this focus on legacy.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

It unfortunately is not quite that simple -- some older very complicated and expensive hardware often needs to run for a LONG while after a system has been upgraded. Typically control hardware / complicated drawing blue print printers etc etc -- not the usual stuff I agree typical people at home would have - but it still needs to run. This equipment often costs 10,000's of dollars (US) or more and won't be replaced for possibly anything up to 20 years or even more.

Fortunately these days a better mechanism for doing that is by the use of Virtual Machines (in about 99.9% of cases). So long as the system will support products such as VMWARE and VBOX then the compatability issue becomes redundant as your legacy app will run on a Virtual Machine.

I'm sure you would not be very pleased if in your home country the Govt said --we've just built a new highway but only cars of up to two years old will be allowed to run on it. !!!


Cheers
jimbo

 

[Avalon]

Yes jimbo, I totally understand what you're saying. I do a lot of work with SAP, and even that is 10 years old at the moment (even though it is a very amazing enterprise system). It's the things which, as you said, cost upwards of 10's of thousands of dollars that are not worth giving up just yet.

And that is a very suitable analogy.

 

[jimbo45]

Yes jimbo, I totally understand what you're saying. I do a lot of work with SAP, and even that is 10 years old at the moment (even though it is a very amazing enterprise system). It's the things which, as you said, cost upwards of 10's of thousands of dollars that are not worth giving up just yet.

And that is a very suitable analogy.

Hi there
I've run stuff on SAP as well -- incidentally surprisingly enough the SAP GUI (front end) rel 7.20 does actually work on W8 both X-86 and X-64 but it needs to connect to a SAP Backend system running on whatever Host --- at my place this stuff tends to run on W2K3 Virtual Servers running some type of ORACLE DB system --- I don't do anything much with SAP internals apart from ocassionally logging on to some Engineering Plant Maintenance stuff and service / plant maintenance Notifications and worksheets using a Portal.

Slightly OT but you did mention SAP -- probably a Great system invented for Consultants to make oodles of dosh !!!!!!.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Avalon]

Well how long does it take before we classify something as legacy?
But yes, SAP is certainly an interesting one. Seems to work flawlessly on Windows 7, but I haven't done much work with it on Windows 8. I don't want to start installing the bad-boys before we're on some kind of Release Candidate or RTM version, simply because of the time factor

 

[Beta]

Hi there

It unfortunately is not quite that simple -- some older very complicated and expensive hardware often needs to run for a LONG while after a system has been upgraded. Typically control hardware / complicated drawing blue print printers etc etc -- not the usual stuff I agree typical people at home would have - but it still needs to run. This equipment often costs 10,000's of dollars (US) or more and won't be replaced for possibly anything up to 20 years or even more.

Fortunately these days a better mechanism for doing that is by the use of Virtual Machines (in about 99.9% of cases). So long as the system will support products such as VMWARE and VBOX then the compatability issue becomes redundant as your legacy app will run on a Virtual Machine.

I'm sure you would not be very pleased if in your home country the Govt said --we've just built a new highway but only cars of up to two years old will be allowed to run on it. !!!


Cheers
jimbo

Yea, I know about the drafting printers. At my work we have a printer that was bought it 1989 and another in 1992 and still running. I had the lovely time finding a working network driver when we went from XP to Vista Pro x64. 3 weeks of my life ,and countless hours of banging my head on my desk, I got it working and works great in windows 7.

A new printer would cost $28,000 for the samething but new.

 

[mikedl]

Good to see a fellow geek here in that aspect.

Are you architecturally based or civil (or neither)?

I found the Oce machines support new OS's quite well.

 

[Beta]

We design valves.

 

[mikedl]

Ah, neither it is, then.

Must be big valves else an 11x17 printer woud suffice.

I do civil and architectural.
24x36 is the order of the day but, often 36x48 becomes necessary. (US standards)

Oce hasn't skipped a beat ... now if only I could ACAD 2012 working on Win8 8102 ...

Oh, well, I still have Win7.

 

[vrosa]

now if only I could ACAD 2012 working on Win8 8102

I tryed to install ACAD 2012 on W8 with no success, but ACAD 2011 works fine.

 

[Beta]

We use the printers to print 1:1 and they are calibrated to print exact. This way we can use it to check for first run of of the production line.

AutoCAD 2012 works fine with Windows 7. Don't know what issues you had but I use it everyday and SolidWorks 2011.

 

[vrosa]

AutoCAD 2012 works fine with Windows 7. Don't know what issues you had but I use it everyday and SolidWorks 2011.

I know... no probs in W7, but no go on W8

~edit: on legacy things~

i have a Palopoli Cutting Plotter SDS-2000 that only works on Windows 95/98/ME, and it costs arround US$ 2000. What a pain !!!

 

[Beta]

If it works in ME it should work in xp. Strange. I have yet to have a device that would not let me install in some usable form in Windows 7.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

It unfortunately is not quite that simple -- some older very complicated and expensive hardware often needs to run for a LONG while after a system has been upgraded. Typically control hardware / complicated drawing blue print printers etc etc -- not the usual stuff I agree typical people at home would have - but it still needs to run. This equipment often costs 10,000's of dollars (US) or more and won't be replaced for possibly anything up to 20 years or even more.

Fortunately these days a better mechanism for doing that is by the use of Virtual Machines (in about 99.9% of cases). So long as the system will support products such as VMWARE and VBOX then the compatability issue becomes redundant as your legacy app will run on a Virtual Machine.

I'm sure you would not be very pleased if in your home country the Govt said --we've just built a new highway but only cars of up to two years old will be allowed to run on it. !!!


Cheers
jimbo

Yea, I know about the drafting printers. At my work we have a printer that was bought it 1989 and another in 1992 and still running. I had the lovely time finding a working network driver when we went from XP to Vista Pro x64. 3 weeks of my life ,and countless hours of banging my head on my desk, I got it working and works great in windows 7.

A new printer would cost $28,000 for the samething but new.

Hi there
I'm sure you could have got it up and running in about 20 mins with VMware workstation !!!!!

Not decrying the work you did to get it functioning but 3 weeks of your time would cost any corporation a lot more money than a licence of VMware workstation (or you could have even used VMware server for FREE !!!).

I totally agree about not junking the hardware but often there are very neat, quick and elegant solutions to these types of problems.

If the Printer is on a Network it doesn't matter either since a user can access a printer on a Networked virtual machine just like a real physical one.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Beta]

Hi there

It unfortunately is not quite that simple -- some older very complicated and expensive hardware often needs to run for a LONG while after a system has been upgraded. Typically control hardware / complicated drawing blue print printers etc etc -- not the usual stuff I agree typical people at home would have - but it still needs to run. This equipment often costs 10,000's of dollars (US) or more and won't be replaced for possibly anything up to 20 years or even more.

Fortunately these days a better mechanism for doing that is by the use of Virtual Machines (in about 99.9% of cases). So long as the system will support products such as VMWARE and VBOX then the compatability issue becomes redundant as your legacy app will run on a Virtual Machine.

I'm sure you would not be very pleased if in your home country the Govt said --we've just built a new highway but only cars of up to two years old will be allowed to run on it. !!!


Cheers
jimbo

Yea, I know about the drafting printers. At my work we have a printer that was bought it 1989 and another in 1992 and still running. I had the lovely time finding a working network driver when we went from XP to Vista Pro x64. 3 weeks of my life ,and countless hours of banging my head on my desk, I got it working and works great in windows 7.

A new printer would cost $28,000 for the samething but new.

Hi there
I'm sure you could have got it up and running in about 20 mins with VMware workstation !!!!!

Not decrying the work you did to get it functioning but 3 weeks of your time would cost any corporation a lot more money than a licence of VMware workstation (or you could have even used VMware server for FREE !!!).

I totally agree about not junking the hardware but often there are very neat, quick and elegant solutions to these types of problems.

If the Printer is on a Network it doesn't matter either since a user can access a printer on a Networked virtual machine just like a real physical one.

Cheers
jimbo

I can tell that you don't work in a demanding office. That would cost us more money to buy software that we would have to pay a license fee which is based on how many end users would be using it. The total cost would be around $2000 - 3000 per year. Yea cheaper... right. We do not plan to replace the printer until we can not find parts for it so say 5 years goes by I saved my company $10000 - 15000. Also I did not just work for 120 hours for three weeks on just getting the driver to work. I did other things at my job.

We use a Networked port to share the printer.

 

[Beta]

Just looked up the cost of VMware to do what you said and here it is: $22,631. So please do not tell me that is cheaper to go out and buy something that you don't need and costs more then it would costs for me to find a solution.