Over the last 30 years, computers have gotten smaller, faster and connected to something we call “the Internet.”  No one predicted this happening but here we are.  Still, there are some things those old machines do that modern machines can’t and some of those features are making their way back to new computers.

PC World lists 5 things that old computers did well that modern computers don’t do or are just getting around to doing again.

At number one, computers that run on a paltry amount of memory.  Today, not even 2GB satiates a modern operating system’s appetite for memory but back in the day 16KB to 64KB of memory was standard, yes Kilobytes.

Next is operating systems free of the registry.  Windows has and continues to use the registry to contain system settings but before Windows 95, settings were contained in small “.INI” files that could be edited.  The registry can be edited but only if you know what you are doing and doing something wrong can be detrimental to your PC’s health.

In third place is portable software.  Most programs and before affordable hard drives even the operating system was contained on a floppy.  You could take your OS and your programs and plug them in to any compatible computer.  Today, USB flash drives and even web based applications have brought some of that functionality to modern computers.

At number four we have wishing for faster startup times.  Windows can take anywhere from 30 to 45 seconds (typical) to boot and in rare cases even longer.  But, older computers were instant on, in most cases.  Operating systems used to be contained in the ROM (read only memory) directly on the motherboard or on floppy discs which meant instant access or just a few seconds and you were ready to go. 

Modern computers aren’t quite there yet but motherboard manufacturer Asus is exploring that option with what it calls “Express Gate” which takes the user to an “instant on” customized version of Linux that has a web browser, instant messaging and email capabilities without going to the main operating system.  There are also a few systems with embedded XP that have a similar instant on feature but are not in the mainstream consumer market.

Several manufacturers offer alternate quick boot options that take you to a souped up media application that gives you access to your music, movies and videos and if you’re lucky, a primitive file browser, an example of that would be Dell MediaDirect, HP offers something similar.

Lastly, viruses.  Back in the old days the only way to spread a virus was by a floppy disc and if the hacker was lucky the computer was on a network so it could spread itself.  Back then the idea was data destruction but fell apart quickly if the medium was “write protected.”  Today, viruses can spread quickly and voraciously via the Internet, email or infected programs but the idea is stealing data or identity theft.  With all the malware protection needed to protect yourself this has also led to longer startup times.

With the introduction of SSDs (solid state drives) and embedded operating systems making a (small) but noticeable come back, some of the glory of old computers might yet be realized in newer systems.  Though, we’re still a year or two away from a lot of this hitting the mainstream market.

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Entry was posted on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 7:10 pm under Uncategorized.

Read more entries by Jonathan Schlaffer.
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