Quote from: njee20 on February 24, 2018, 10:05:00 AM
With the best will in the world Mike you're buying new hardware and expecting it to work with obsolete software. That's like lamenting the fact the newest Farish models won't work with Zero1!

I don't wish to be controversial, but if you'd kept the OS up to date maybe you wouldn't have had problems with your old computer crashing frequently...

There are still a lot of new  PCs with Win 7 installed for sale, others with no OS but Win 7 or 8.1 as optional add ons.

The only software crash I've had was over a year ago after a Win 7 update, the recent problem was hardware.  (typical  find  the old one or cure the fault after you buy a new one )

Thanks for al the replies but I'm sticking with Win 7 and returning the new machine for a refund.

As some one whose worked on transistor computers, and built my first computer. Thats built by soldering chips on a board not assembling by plugging in boards. I Can say win 10, is now a stable system, the first version of creator edition did cause problems but the current version is ok.
The company I work for has tens of thousands of PCs round the world, and all except for a few specialist ones are on win 10 .

Quote from: Ditape on February 24, 2018, 09:01:50 AM
My home computing started with a ZX80 move on to a ZX81.

LOL.. I can go one better than that in 1983 I had one of these before moving onto a ZX Spectrum, which is still in its box stored in my loft somewhere. I think all the boys games cassettes are with it also.

Machine #1 - Tandy TRS80 with 16k RAM, green screen ( leading edge tech) and cassette tape! (£640)  1979

Have now seen the light - 2017 iMac, 27" 5k screen, 2TB , and 40GB ram - bliss!
£2000

( PC waving!)

My first job involved programming an EAI (Electronic Associates Inc.) 680 analogue computer. It had removable 3ft square patch panels. This was linked to an EAI 640 digital machine (1 Kb memory).

The problem with Windows 10 is that it has a GUI that looks as if it has been designed for a 5 year old. I want an adult GUI, i.e. Classic Windows. I always assumed that I would use Linux when I retired but unfortunately all the Linux Distros these days seem to be competing to look like Windows 10.

Paul

Quotebut unfortunately all the Linux Distros these days seem to be competing to look like Windows 10.

Its the other way around, most of  the "new" bells and whistles" that both micro$oft and apple have introduced have been  borrowed from linux,which now seems to be going back to a plain screen without any docks  or pop out side panels.

Quote from: Razzmataz on February 25, 2018, 10:21:22 AM
My first job involved programming an EAI (Electronic Associates Inc.) 680 analogue computer. It had removable 3ft square patch panels. This was linked to an EAI 640 digital machine (1 Kb memory).

Gosh, removable panels with lots and lots of tangled knitting on them to 'program' it  ! EAI rings a distant bell, we had two of those as well !
I cant remember the numbers but was that the 100v analogue version ?  there were not many of those and, long-shot:-, were the two of them aided and abetted by a PDP11/10 and a PDP11/45,  (which got upgraded to a 32K ferrite core memory) on which we could play moon landers ( during coffee breaks! )

(perhaps not) fog of years but I think our digital EAI was 3660 or something with 4digits. The only 640  I remember was an IBM (or was it a 680 ?) which I never saw, we just sent off piles of punched cards and some time later the answer ( not always 42 ) would come back !

Quote from: themadhippy on February 25, 2018, 12:51:37 PM
from linux,which now seems to be going back to a plain screen without any docks  or pop out side panels.

That's interesting, I must have another look at what is about then, the last time my Linux got an airing it was Mint and like Raz. says, they were all becoming more windows-like ( depending which of the desktop wars you followed )
Dabbled in many Linux over the years (Puppy was the first one I remember that could be run live off usb media with retention, very clever) but always find I am doing most on Windows simply because of the wealth of freeware and open-source that is available for it in all my hobbies  I dont do the windows/linux warring I just use what's natural 

I was put off Linux when I was contemplating it when I could find no drivers for OKI colour lasers, only a comment that all they were good for was as a paperweight!

Over the years  (about 15) I've had 3, the second was an upgrade, the third a few months ago was due to a problem caused by a 3rd party toner. I find now that it's over £100 cheaper to buy a new machine than to buy a set of OKI toner cartridges, a set of clone toner cartridges is about the same or a little cheaper than a new machine, similar state of affairs for other makes.

Quote from: Dorsetmike on February 25, 2018, 03:07:41 PM
I was put off Linux when I was contemplating it when I could find no drivers for OKI colour lasers,

Similar here, I was Linux mainly (DOS and then Windows second strings to my bow) up to 9k6 modems, then the downfall came with an upgrade? to an Aldi/Medion (gasp!) and the dawn of the 56k modems, which in this case was a winmodem that had no Linux driver So if I had a Linux problem I had to fire up windows to connect t'internet to find a solution, grrr.
So now, as said, manly windows, with Linux second string sometimes and nostalgia and writing Python (and that wont last much longer cos I now have it on my 'doze as well  )

Malcolm,

It was definitely a 640/680 Hybrid and the 640 was replaced earlier on with an EAI Pacer that used 5Mb disks. These were solid, magnetic coated, aluminium the size if an LP and in a huge plastic case and the heads had to be realigned once a week. I worked on a PDP/11 a bit later.

I’ll also have to re-visited the latest Linux desktops.

Quote from: Razzmataz on February 25, 2018, 04:01:52 PM
5Mb disks. These were solid, magnetic coated, aluminium the size if an LP

Thanks interesting. There was something like that on the EAI Hybrid I was using, (a clean room because of it). My ref. to 100v on it was good because we needed that for s/n ratio on my radio/telecom simulations.
Please excuse all those questions I asked, for a moment I though we might have a case of Small Worlds colliding. So if I had said Filton it wouldnt have caused surprise then ?!!

Just done a free upgrade to win 10 from win 7 today and it was quite painless and has kept all my files programs and settings unchanged. So far it seems as good as win 7 but I shall see over the next few days. Some bloatware to get rid of though like Skype an spottything some of the other stuff I'll find out what it's for or does before removing it. Btw the free upgrade is still available if anyone wants to know how to do it before Microsoft closes the loophole.

Quote from: Big bad John on February 25, 2018, 04:40:56 PM
Just done a free upgrade to win 10 from win 7 today and it was quite painless and has kept all my files programs and settings unchanged.

Oh ! I thought free had ended, what a surprise.
I dont know if you should tempt me, I was not tempted before now because I am happy with my Win7 active machines, but since I have acquired a couple more that are not doing much and are not essential should I try it I wonder , , , oh the temptation
They are not yet connected to t'internet (part of their value!) but I have seen this
"Using the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) to install Windows 10 on a different PC (click to show more or less information) "
do you (anyone) know if that 'different' m/c need to eventually connect to complete ?
Ta.

I made an iso and burned a DVD to upgrade. I think it immediately checked for upgrades after finishing, but not during installation.