10-18-2010, 10:19 AM | #121 | |
Wizard
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Be careful saying not a single computer used now will be working 15 years from now. I have an old Commodore C64c that still works. |
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10-18-2010, 10:40 AM | #122 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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I have an Atari 800 myself. Even the floppy drive still works after 30 years. First computer I owned. (Plus, an XEGS, an ST, and an old Rockwell calculator that uses regular AA batteries. My old Bowmar Brain only died when the NiCads stopped holding a charge and I lost the power brick. I've seen Wang calculators still working after 40+ years, too.) Solid state electronics, by themselves, are quite robust. I actually have documents from the early 70's: Originally typewritten, then I scanned them onto PC 360Kb floppies. From there they migrated to Atari floppy, PC 1.44Mb floppy, Atari ST, PC 3.5", CD-ROM, DVD, and currently they reside on a 1 TB HDD with my emails, Gutenberg and Black Mask collections, ripped CDs, and what-not. On the other hand, my tape backups I just threw away after a few years. Lately I just copy my data directory from one HDD to the next as I migrate. So far, rtf remains fully readable. I have several fully functional legacy computers lying around; the early stuff was nicely overgineered and still runs fine. At work we had a first-gen HP Laserjet that we had to get rid of simply because it was too big; it never broke and it was still working fine after 20 years. But it looked out of place next to the 21st century gear. I also have some vintage paperbacks from the 50s I'm going to have to scan before they turn to dust on me. Those old ACE doubles are hard to find these days if they can be found at all. Barring the great magnetic superstorm or an asteroid impact properly maintained digital should easily outlast any modern paperback. Of course, nothing outlasts engraved/goldplated titanium but my budget doesn't go that far. |
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10-18-2010, 10:46 AM | #123 |
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Please preserve those Ace doubles any way you can! Man, I loved those things!
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10-18-2010, 11:00 AM | #124 | ||
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The Zip drive I have used wasn't for reading MY backup. It was more or less a means of communication with a very old PC with DOS installed. The "path of least resistance" for loading that PC with a new version of SCADA/HMI screens was connecting a Zip drive. It already had driver installed on disk so I could save very valuable time. You have to finish work while the production line is being repaired. Quote:
I was never able to to save enough money to purchase disk drive for my C64. But even 20 years ago it was difficult to get floppy disk that would work in that one-sided 170KB disk drive. Those new-fangled SD and HD 5¼" disks (600 and 1200 KB) didn't work in 1541 |
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10-18-2010, 11:18 AM | #125 | |
Wizard
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10-18-2010, 01:17 PM | #126 | |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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I've read 139 books so far this year. My average book cost has been $3.28. I'm very reluctant to pay more than $6 for an ebook. My most expensive reads this year have been two by Alexander McCall smith and one by Steig Larsson, each of which cost $8.50. |
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10-18-2010, 02:25 PM | #127 | |
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In reality, the changes of the backup medium, and format conversions, are handled at the time when the move to the new technology/format is made. I still have some data that made transition from being stored on VAX/VMS tapes, to PC 5.25" diskettes, then to 3 1/2" floppies, then to CD, then to DVD's, then ended up on my (redundant) hard disks that serve as backup media today. More recently, I have converted all .lit books to ePub, and I expect to be able to read those books 20 years from now, should I live to see that day. |
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10-18-2010, 02:26 PM | #128 |
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I'm a slowly reforming scofflaw.
I was at a friend's house this weekend looking at his books. I saw a book I've been meaning to read for a long time. I thought about asking to borrow the book. Then I thought "Why not save us both the trouble and I'll just find the torrent. He can keep it safely on his shelf while I still 'borrow' it. I'll delete it when I'm done." Sounds reasonable, n'est pas? |
10-18-2010, 03:50 PM | #129 | |
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10-18-2010, 04:01 PM | #130 |
Wizard
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You would think people would be bright enough to do so but in the real reality, there are many who do not. When 3.5" floppies were no longer included in new computers, many people complained they could no longer read files they had stored on those disks. Surprisingly, corporations are the worst offenders merely because upgrading stored media is expensive.
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10-18-2010, 05:16 PM | #131 |
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Deleted. I'd better not comment on this one...
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10-18-2010, 05:45 PM | #132 | |
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However, in keeping with the topic of the original posting my point was more along the lines of "This is the way people think. Publishers had better come to grips with it." |
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10-18-2010, 05:58 PM | #133 |
Ebook Reader
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Ok, I'm going to bite... It's ok to borrow the book, but not ok to torrent the ebook as a substitute? I'm having a real hard time getting my mind around this one... This is one case where he had the physical media, and was going to "fair use" the torrent? Why not?
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10-18-2010, 06:05 PM | #134 |
The Dank Side of the Moon
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Cause it is illegal.
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10-18-2010, 06:29 PM | #135 |
Feral Underclass
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