Are Oldtimers Getting Shut Out?

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: Montbrun

I'm definitely an "old timer," but use CAD products for a living. I've found that Windows-7 Pro, which is loaded on my personal computer, is an excellent alternative to the newer Windows versions, and I think, is still available and supported.

Supported until January 2020 at which time it will be supported for businesses only and for a fee. Each year beyond 2020 the cost will increase for a period of time until it's completely dropped.

[Zovs]

Centos 8 is really great to as well as Linux Mint.

Here is the deal, you can get these to run on 2 GB of RAM and 50 GB HDD with no issues. In fact Centos is prob best for old worn out h/w.

If you have a decent Windows 10 machine (8 GB of RAM or more and at least a 500 GB HDD, both of which are pretty standard and run about $300-600) you can use Oracle VirtualBox and make some VM's and give them a spin and see which one you like.

For web or software development I generally like Centos 8. For other things I like Mint.

I don't like Slackware, Arch or Google. And I tried Gentoo and it was lacking compared to Centos.

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: Karri

ORIGINAL: AndySfromVA

The poster raises a serious point. I have a PC with built-in graphics that's incapable of running many newer 3d programs. I'm very reluctant to invest in newer games (like the upcoming PZ Corps 2) that might not run well. And some of the older games don't run well on Windows 10.

The only serious point he raises is:

too obnoxious to believe that there is such a thing as obsolete!

Now spending 800 dollars on a new computer (which doesn't get you the best possible computer, but will keep you up to date) every three years or so might be a bit expensive from some perspective, but if I count it as per hour cost it's pennies(and that's only calculating time spent gaming).

No need to replace the entire machine. Max out memory and throw in a new vid card from time to time depending on what games you play. Should be good for a few years. You would be surprised how long you can keep an old machine going with new hardware for much less than a new machine costs.

[zakblood]

i used to walk alot,

now i have a car, so drive.

before i walked i crawled, progress comes with age.

i love tech and loved DOS, but windows 10 just works better and easier than the rest, if it didn't. i'd also be on something else

[stuart3]

It depends what you mean by outdated hardware. My PC is elderly, but still powerful. I have a second gen i5 running at 3.0GHz, updated with 16Gb ram, a 500Gb SSD, and a GTX970. The only thing that is really outdated is the motherboard which only supports USB2, but I can continue to live with that.

My current thinking is to add a Linux distro so as to have a dual boot machine with a switch on the broadband cable so that I can use Linux for web searches, email, etc., but have the option to cut the broadband connection and retain the current Win7 setup for when I want to use it as an offline games console.

[zakblood]

i use some tech older with windows 10 fine, my main testing rig is only a i7 with 16GB of ram and a Nvidia 960 tbh with 4GB of ram, a 512GB SDD and a 1TB hybrid, works fien for most of the stuff i'm testing with no issues

i still use some dual core laptops,. again with win 10 and yes onboard vga and slower 5400 hard drive

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: stuart3

It depends what you mean by outdated hardware.

It falls under recommended hardware.

My PC is elderly, but still powerful. I have a second gen i5 running at 3.0GHz, updated with 16Gb ram, a 500Gb SSD, and a GTX970. The only thing that is really outdated is the motherboard which only supports USB2, but I can continue to live with that.

You can also buy an expansion card with USB 3 ports and plug it in the mother board. That's the way I got USB 1 on my first own PC with Win95.

[zakblood]

USB 3 is only useful if you use it or have devices that like and can use the extra speed, as i do, yes it's nice to use and like above said, pc slots can upgrade to almost anything keeping slower older tech alive for longer

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: zakblood

USB 3 is only useful if you use it or have devices that like and can use the extra speed, as i do, yes it's nice to use and like above said, pc slots can upgrade to almost anything keeping slower older tech alive for longer

Remember that the cable also has to support the much higher speed of USB 3.

[demyansk]

Windows 10 works well

[MrsWargamer]

With regards to OSs, well, I know this much, until an OS is created that can go more than 5 years without being in dire need of being replaced, or requiring it be turned off and then back on to perform routine upgrade/pastches, the world will have little reason to fear the 'Rise of the Machines'.

As a long time wargamer, I'm not remotely impressed with the state of AI. So what if it can play a good game of Chess, can it understand Sealion?
All the power that we have in hardware, but the software is still unimpressively dismal.

Nope, not interested in uploading my mind to a machine. I'll take my chances in an organic replicating/repairing shell.
And I ain't getting on any sort of space craft for any far off long term voyage to the middle of deep space just yet.

I'm using Windows 10, it came on the new computer. I wasn't having any trouble with 8.5 and 7 was ok as well.
I should have kept an old clunker running Windows 98 considering some of our greatest wargames prefer our old 486 machines.

I don't buy Windows versions. I get them on new rigs. And I only get a new rig when the current machine dies.
It's nice that wargame software needs is often several years behind the current must have gear needed for the current spiffy glitzy mainstream games (which I don't play). "Oh I can't run this" has never happened to me with wargames.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: MrsWargamer

It's nice that wargame software needs is often several years behind the current must have gear needed for the current spiffy glitzy mainstream games (which I don't play).

I have here an old desktop from 2012 that runs great majority of the newest and fanciest games, even BATTLETECH, DOOM (with reduced resolution, and Project CARS 2. Turn resolution down, anti-aliasing and ray-tracing off, and any game works just fine.

[stuart3]

Windows 10 works well

Microsoft recently sent me an information sheet warning me of Win7's impending demise. When I clicked on the option for further information I was informed that Microsoft no longer recommend updating older PCs with Windows 10 (despite the fact that four years ago I had to fight off their attempts to force it onto the same machine). I am certain that it was pure coincidence that this negative information was followed by an advert for their latest Surface Pro series machines. Nevertheless, I will follow the manufacturer's advice and not spend £100 purchasing as OS that Microsoft themselves recommend me to not install.

You can also buy an expansion card with USB 3 ports and plug it in the mother board.

Yes, but older processors, including my 2nd gen i5 are not fully compatible with USB3. That's why VR headset manufacturers specify that 4th gen and later processors are required.

[zakblood]

not paid a penny for windows 10, have it installed on all 7 pc's owned in the house, laptops, tablets and pc's etc, all on the free upgrade and all worked fine on reinstalls even though i have no serial number for any now

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: stuart3

Windows 10 works well

You can also buy an expansion card with USB 3 ports and plug it in the mother board.

Yes, but older processors, including my 2nd gen i5 are not fully compatible with USB3. That's why VR headset manufacturers specify that 4th gen and later processors are required.

If the USB port is blue, it only supports USB 2.0. If it's black, it supports USB 3.0. Although not every PC maker follows this.

[wodin]

ORIGINAL: Joe Meyer

I'm still using Windows XP as my Operating System simply because I like it and I've taken all of the precautions to keep it safe. Yet, the game developers are claiming that it is much too tedious to support XP in all of their new offerings. So for those of us like me who've not breathlessly run out to purchase a new computer we've now become the shunned. We are now the stupid people who can't keep up with modern technology. It's fashionable to regards XP users as losers, too old and dumb to realize what they are missing, too dense to understand that the world won't standstill for just them, too obnoxious to believe that there is such a thing as obsolete!

I used to be able to dial up Steam and play a nice little solitaire game of Atlantic Fleet. Can't do that anymore! Can't do a lot of things like that anymore!

Honestly XP is getting rather old. At some point you have to upgrade considering the speed of technology these days it's amazing XP can still cut it.

Since the first computers after just a few years they become outdated. I can't remember when XP came out but it must be what 15 years old by now. as someone said was the commodore 64 still being accounted for 15 years after release? Unlikely.

If you want to game digitally then upgrading is part of the course, like it or not. If you don't then you can either stick with the old games or go back to boardgames. That's the choice.

Not sure you can really complain that much about XP not being supported anymore. There have been three new WIn OS since then 7,8 and 10. 10 was given out for free in it's first couple of months too.

[Zorch]

'Supposedly' Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows; Microsoft will keep updating it forever. [8D]

[Zovs]

Maybe it will be Window 20

[Lobster]

10.999999999999999999999

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: stuart3

Nevertheless, I will follow the manufacturer's advice and not spend £100 purchasing as OS that Microsoft themselves recommend me to not install.

You don't have to. You can download Win10 from Internet and install it with older Windows product key.

ORIGINAL: wodin

If you want to game digitally then upgrading is part of the course, like it or not. If you don't then you can either stick with the old games or go back to boardgames. That's the choice.

I say it again: new games are still made for old hardware. Even older than Commodore 64. There are even new operating systems for them. Does this message get through?