Had no idea about this, thought it was quite interesting: The end of an era - Windows 3.x

Thanks for the post, it was interesting. I had "some" idea about much of it, but I didn't know MS was still providing support up until a few days ago. I thought they'd stopped that years ago. There was a paragraph in there that I question the accuracy of; "Windows 3.x required an 8086/8088 processor or better that had a clock speed of up to 10MHz. It needed at least 64KB of RAM, seven megabytes of hard drive space, and a graphics card that supported CGA, EGA and VGA graphics." 1st - Only Windows 3.0 would run a on 8086/8088 using it's "real mode", and it wouldn't really do anything useful at that. Windows 3.1 only ran in "standard" and "enhanced" modes, requiring a 286 and up. 2nd - (and I suspect it's just a typo) Windows 3.0 required a minimum of 640KB of ram. I don't think you could even run DOS in 64KB, at least not DOS plus any program. I think Windows 3.1 required 2MB of ram. Finally - Windows 3.1 wouldn't work in CGA and Windows for Workgroups requires VGA.

Thanks here also for this post.... :( Keep the old stuff running

From the end of the article... "He said: "I wouldn't connect it to the internet, though, as it's not sophisticated enough to ward off attackers." " How many hackers would even bother, plus it's actually likely that it's more secure than a 32-bit O/S, since "hacking into a machine" became popular after Win3.1 was on the decline anyway... Nevertheless, if it was totally useless, there wouldn't be as many sites still providing support and downloads for it...

I thought the same T-R-A, No one would bother trying to attack a Windows 3.11 system now. I doubt many of today's hackers would know how to get in! Also, name me a 16-bit virus that is floating around. And spyware? Doesn't even exist on 3.11. I think that article is typical of many of the BBC's tech news items. It's so generic, and doesn't always stick to the facts. For instance, the bit about the patched driver for 1024x768 resolution makes it sound as if you HAD to patch drivers to use this mode - whereas I have used 3.11 in 1280x1024 using manufacturer drivers. Another example is their article about Windows 98 support coming to an end - it mentions that "Although it was possible to go on the net with Windows 95..." What about DOS and 3.11 then?!

Plus they don't even consider that the internet (in it's "true, original" form) began way before Windows itself (and even before the PC for that matter): http://www.ibiblio.org/pioneers/cer...

heh any one care to rent vista? it is interesting that M$ is striving now to make it ilegal to even sell its old software I think its just more a revisiting of the same subject I've seen so often the old line that... M$ does not support it no one uses it any more you cant use it any more it cant use the internet it runs on slow computers heres my line back... never had or needed m$ support I have and use it you can use it today internet works just fine for me it runs at 1ghz too I dont even exsisit to them? cool! Windows 3.x ROCKS!