RE: filmscanners: real value?

["Laurie Solomon" <laurie@advancenet.net>]

In your case, you are lucky that the old computer is Win 95 compatible
system; what if it were an old Kaypro computer or an old 286 CPU PC which
used only dos and allowed for no more than 8-16MB of Ram?  It would be hard
to keep driving those old nails in just like a hammer with a system that
will accommodate only a limited amount of physical ram of a type that is
hard to find anymore and uses a OS that has not existed for several decades
so as to be incompatible with current peripherals and current software.
Similarly, it would be hard to do color work on a monotone black & white
monitor or printer even if it still worked and could be used with your more
current system.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Michael Wilkinson
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 3:37 AM
To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
Subject: Re: filmscanners: real value?


 Laurie ,you are spot on  with regards to OS changes and support for
legacy devices.
My film recorder for instance uses a GPIB interface ,the one we have is
only Win 95 compatible unit.
I would prefer a win 2K item but will not spend the money just to
upgrade  so we now have one 5 year old computer dedicated to running win
95 driving the film recorder.We will not upgrade as there is no point.
The film recorder will be whacking out trannies and negs for a good few
years as it has done since 95 and Ill still use the old Win 95 o/s or
even Win 3.11 if needed.
My Mum was still playing games on her 12 year old Tatung Einstein
computer till she died last year.No hard drive, just 2 floppies but ,
like a hammer, it just kept driving those old fashioned nails in.

Michael Wilkinson. 106 Holyhead Road,Ketley, Telford.Shropshire TF 15 DJ
  michael@infocus-photography.co.uk      www.infocus-photography.co.uk
For Trannies and Negs from Digital Files


,----- Original Message -----
From: "Laurie Solomon" <laurie@advancenet.net>
.  Operating systems could change
: dramatically so as to render drivers not only inefficient but totally
: obsolete, interface electronic connections may disappear to be
replaced with
: new ones that will not work with the equipment (e.g., systems using
parallel
: port connections being replaced by systems that furnish only USB
connections
: or Firewall connections, computer systems that do not use
interchangeable
: cards resulting in one not being able to install a SCSI card into an
open
: slot so as to use SCSI devices, etc.), obsolete software that no
longer will
: work with contemporary operating systems, new technologies that are
: incompatible with the older ones, etc.
:
: One never knows in advance what may happen of the sort described above
which
: will render all one's planning for nil in 2 or three years - let alone
10
: years.
:
: -----Original Message-----
: From: owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
: [mailto:owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Michael
Wilkinson
: Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 6:09 AM
: To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
: Subject: Re: filmscanners: real value?
:
:
: Its interesting to look at what the photographic industry is
: experimenting with.
: Mini Labs can now install a printer than scans the neg ,adjusts the
: contrast levels ,colour corrects and then prints using LEDs or Laser
: beams and then processes conventionally.
: As I understand it the number of prints  output per hour is phenomenal
: and the quality breathtaking.
: I agree that Inkjet prints have a long way to go before they replace
: photo paper.
: just this weekend we were looking at old colour photos in our rugby
club
: showing me with black hair ( those were the days ) ,the colours were
: brilliant ,definition superb and they had been hanging on a wall for
20
: years,lets see Inkjets like that in 20 years from now,I don't think so
!
: I feel strongly that a 10 year prediction is realistic in relation to
: buying kit for personal use.
: If we ignore the hype and advertising ,check out the spec,s and ensure
: that a product does what you want then it should still be doing that
in
: 10 years time.
: Have you ever watched a chicken eating ?
: If you put a heap of top quality grain down it will start to tuck
: in,walk a couple of yards away drop some stale rice down and it will
: immediately run over to see if it has a better deal.
: We consumers are just like that.
: That's why I say if you research your needs and what's available first
: you don't need to be like a chicken.
:
: Michael Wilkinson. 106 Holyhead Road,Ketley, Telford.Shropshire TF 15
DJ
:   michael@infocus-photography.co.uk      www.infocus-photography.co.uk
: For Trannies and Negs from Digital Files