On 12/1/2011 8:21 AM, Wolf K wrote:
On 01/12/2011 3:45 AM, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
In message , Mortimer
writes:
[]
In most respects, Windows 7 works perfectly for me.

(For the month or two I had a 7 machine to play with, I found I disliked
it a lot less than I was expecting to: I think it's a "good" Windows, on
the whole. I even understood what they were trying to do with libraries
[basically, make links work properly, like they did in Unix], though
some of the implementation needs tweaking.)

The only downsides a

- no 64-bit driver is available for my Epson 1200 scanner so I need
to keep an XP machine for this

Actually, that's Epson's fault, not Microsoft's.

True.

No, I would say it _is_ Microsoft's, for making an OS (or OS variant)
which can't use older drivers. Why should hardware manufacturers have to
keep producing new drivers (especially for kit they no longer make -
don't know if that's the case in this case)?
[]

This argument was beaten to death on a Linux group (very few mfrs
provide drivers for Linux).

The real issue is lack of standards. We're well past the time that
printers should be plug'n'play, and I don't mean that the OS installs a
driver when you plug in the printer. It's bizarre that one needs
different drivers for different printers made by the same manufacturer.
Etc.

In the 80's there was an attempt at setting a standard for computers
both in hardware and software, it was called MSX.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX

The concept was that any product that had the MSX logo on it would be
compatible with any other MSX branded product regardless of who
manufactured it. The system gained popularity in Japan, Europe, and
South America but failed miserably in the US and Great Brittan.


--

Roy Smith
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Thunderbird 8.0
Thursday, December 01, 2011 7:30:09 PM